Keep Breathing
by stay.perfectly.still
Summary: Arisa was an assassin who held a fascination for things others would much rather avoid - like certain sharingan eyes. This is a story of her tales, her demons, and her nonexistent dreams. ItachixOC
1. Confirmation

**Author's Note:**Yes, yes - new series! I actually really like how it's turning out so far, so I'm hoping it'll be a permanent story. It's a bit different from the rest of the stories, I would like to think..So if you don't particularly like reading about original characters, then this isn't for you. Oh, and in the future chapters there may be slight hints of ItachixOC - but it will be very mild, because staying in character is crucial.

**WARNING: Later chapters will contain swearing. **

Disclaimer:I do not own Naruto, or it's characters. The only character I do own however, is Arisa Oshiro.

* * *

She shivered, feeling a pit of dread at the bottom of her stomach. At first, she desperately tried to push it away, to rid herself of the need to empty her stomach contents. But it did nothing, in fact, she felt worse. It was as if her intestines had been twisted into countless knots and stepped upon mercilessly, before being lifted and thrown into a nearby river.

Her fingers trembled. She had always known that Konoha shinobi were anything but good. The mere symbol of a leaf was enough to make a winding surge of hatred rush throughout her body. Her immediate reaction was to leap forward and slice them into small bits and pieces upon sight. They, in her mind, were only strong because of their superior economy. It had molded them into what they were; arrogant, deluded fools. Unfortunately, there were too many of them. She inwardly knew that if they had the same amount of shinobi as the Mist did, they would easily fall to their demise. Though the methods of the Mist were frowned upon, it did shape what little shinobi they had to be one of the strongest. It was rumored that Hoshigaki Kisame, and his legendary sword, the Samehada, was now apart of the strongest organizations alive.

The Akatsuki.

As if on cue, a chilling breeze surrounded her, whipping strands of dark hair around her face angrily. It did not help her queasy condition, but she traveled on, her footsteps hardly making a sound as she ascended over water and gravel. She wanted to confirm it.. Though something told her it was unneeded; for her instincts were always right. But the other, more human-like side of her wanted to believe something different. It wanted to believe that she was merely having a stomach ache, or some type of unknown sickness that just occurred abruptly to make her feel this way.

But even she -- in the state that she was in -- knew that _that _was slim to zero. She was a kunoichi, a _Mist _kunoichi at that, who's lived here all her life, in the blistering cold. Her body had become accustomed to the weather, and the excessive training had made her immune system strong enough not to catch such sicknesses. But yet, she still tried to believe that for once her instincts had been wrong. That she was not left to fend for herself. That she was not alone, yet again.

Her cloudy, midnight blue eyes flickered as they scanned their surroundings, easily seeing through the fog. There it was, the bridge, what her instincts had brought her to.

Her footsteps came to an immediate halt, as she hesitantly stared at the mess before her. There was weapons scattered everywhere, along with cement, and deep scars engraved in the unfinished bridge. It was obvious that some sort of battle took place here, and with whom as well. She inhaled deeply, an attempt to calm herself, before taking another step forward, avoiding unsteady areas of the bridge. There was an unmistakable smell of blood lingering in the atmosphere.

Her gaze sharpened, upon the sight of several senbon needles.

She hated the way she was feeling; scared--completely and utterly scared. Upon recognition of whom the needles belonged to, she wanted to bolt in the other direction, scrambling as fast as her nimble legs would take her. It was a feeling of momentary weakness; something that should not be included in her vocabulary. She was kunoichi -- nothing more, nothing less. She was everything that they had sculpted her to be; emotionless, cold, heartless. But at the moment, she felt nothing like her normal self.

This was ridiculous.

Promptly, she forced her unwilling legs forward, one at a time. The mist was clearing, and the battlefield was becoming more and more evident. There were several corpses--bloodied, but swiftly killed by a blade to the throat. She slowly felt herself relax, realizing that this was their work. But as she continued, she noticed that the killings were becoming more and more sloppy; large cuts directed at unneeded places, vital parts discarded. It was becoming messy, unnecessary blood littering the ground. She tensed once again. This was unlike them...they wouldn't play around when there was this many attackers.

She inspected the bodies even more precisely, before growing numb. These..these were Gato's men. What were they doing here?

Her eyes continued to inspect the battle, before widening. Meters away from the countless bodies, were two others. She hesitated, but forcefully followed the blood leading up to the corpses. All the dread, the fear, the guilt, vanished upon confirmation. They were gone, dead..nonexistent.

She stood over them, with downcast eyes. There he was, mask discarded, and with closed eyes. He looked so angelic-like, despite the blood running down his chin and the deep hole in his chest. _Haku.._ She had always known that the kid was a kind, gentle child. He didn't want to be a ninja, yet was gifted with a rare bloodline._ Or cursed_, as others would've said.

There was no doubt about it now, who the body next to his was. The bloodied bandages on his neck, the kunais sticking out of his arms and body, and his dark, grey eyes. Zabuza, Demon of the Mist. Her mentor. Her sensei.

She bowed lowly, before kneeling down and trailing her fingers on his face. With a soft murmur, she closed his eyelids, and gave herself a moment to compose herself. She knew for a fact that she would not cry. But it was difficult to get rid of the emotions coursing through her. It's been a long time since she felt like this. Five years, perhaps? She couldn't be sure.

"**Kakashi-sensei!** I think we should've asked the villagers to help clean up the bodies.." The voice sounded so loud, she almost jumped. Instead, she quickly stood up, her eyes flaring. This was what emotions did -- how could she not realize the amount of people still _at _the bridge? Was she that overwhelmed and weak? Zabuza would've disapproved at her abnormal behavior. She just had to calm down. Regain her composure.

She inhaled and exhaled deeply. However, instead of having that calming effect she wanted, she started to feel dizzy. It was the beginning symptoms of a headache emerging.

"Wait, Naruto. There's somebody here." It was obvious that somebody had seen her. In the midst of her thoughts and emotions, she had not bother to conceal her prescence, or her chakra. It was as if her mind and body didn't want to cooperate with each other. In fact, she became unsure of why she didn't seem to care about..anything, really. Maybe that was why her kunoichi behavior wasn't kicking in.

_I'm.. alone again._

The thoughts whirled in her head, and despite herself, she let them.

"What? Where?--oh." The blonde blinked.

_Back where I started_.

Her head turned towards the sounds. It first landed on the blonde haired boy, with his scratched-up orange jumpsuit, then up to his..

Her eyes darkened, upon the sight of the hitai-ate. The leaf, engraved so proudly and elegantly on metal. It was tied around his forehead, scratched, but nevertheless in good condition. In an instant, her headache disappeared. Instead, it was replaced with the intensity of rage and hatred. Sensing this, the boy's carefree expression was slapped right off his face. Unblinkingly she continued glare at him, her fingers digging into her palms.

They were the reason she was back where she started.

"_You.._" It wasn't like her usual calm tone of voice. No, it was much quieter, hardly louder than a whisper. Yet she was sure they could still hear her. "Konoha-nin.."

_Kill them_.

"Who are you?" It was a different voice. Her head turned swiftly to identify the person.

Crimson, black, intricate designs. Penetrating gaze. The Sharingan.

Her eyes widened in surprise, as her hands grasped the kunai that slid down her sleeve. In a flick of a wrist, it was released, diving straight for his heart. She knew that whoever he was, could easily avoid it. But it wasted enough time for her to form handseals behind her back, and disappear in the wind with her sensei and Haku.


	2. Nagak Masashi

**Author's Note:** Remember that in Japanese culture, the last names always come before the first. Uh, yeah - that's all I really need to talk about.

Reviews are always appreciated - fand so is constructive critism.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or it's characters. The only character I do own however, is Arisa Oshiro.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Zabuza-sensei, Haku." She spoke as if they could hear her apologies. "I should've been there. It would've been different."

_But you weren't. Instead, you were divulging yourself in analyzing useless jutsus in another village. As usual. _

Guilt. Yes, that was what she was feeling. It was yet another emotion she hadn't felt for quite sometime.

Her eyes avoided looking at their lifeless bodies. Instead, she maneuvered her fingers expertly into various handseals, sealing their secrets away with them. A green glow had connected her hands with theirs, and within a fraction of a second, disappeared. She sighed softly. Now she would be the only one who knew the secrets of the Mist, and Haku's no longer existing bloodline.

Her hands went through another jutsu, eyes concentrated. A blue aura appeared, outlining the ground before her in a neat rectangle. Silently, she reached down and touched it with her fingertips, activating the jutsu. The rectangle suddenly started to grow hollow, as the dirt within it softened and compacted into a firm concrete-like state around the edges.

She then proceeded to steadily lift a lifeless Zabuza, and lower him into the ground. He looked so much more serene, _at peace_, now that she had cleared the blood stains and pulled out the sharp weapons buried within his skin. A frown appeared on her lips. It was a shame she hadn't retrieved his sword as well. The blade had meant a lot to him.

"Thank you for what you have taught me." She whispered softly, before lifting up Haku and placing him next to Zabuza. "Thank you to you as well, Haku. You accepted me, along with my jutsu craving obsessions." A genuine smile tugged at her lips. "You never protested even when I forced you to use your bloodline limit for twenty-four hours straight, just to see if I could find a flaw."

Silence.

"I'm not sure what I will do now. Both of you..were the only things that made me..human. You made me experience emotions besides rage and hate." She hesitated. "I..was _content_, being your tool, Zabuza-sensei. But as of now, I suppose I am tool who has her own ideals. A tool that can make her own decisions, and achieve her ambitions.

"I am Oshiro Arisa, assassin of the Mist."

* * *

She leaned back on the tree, dark eyes scanning the view before her in a lazy manner. It took a couple weeks, but the bridge was finally completed. It stood boldly, in it's red and yellow glory; representing something the village never had...Pride.

It was amazing, how something like a bridge could drastically change the village in a mere day. No more were they hiding in the shadows or avoiding eye contact with one another. No, instead they were laughing happily, cracking jokes with another every now and then.

_'Tazuna's really something, ain't he?'_

_'..We really kicked their asses! You shoulda seen it..'_

_'Cheers to the Naruto Big Bridge!'_

To her displeasure, the villagers had decided to name the bridge after one of those Konoha brats. They spoke highly of them, praising them whenever the topic came up. She couldn't stand it - it disgusted her to a point where she merely avoided going into the village unless it was necessary. Their high spirits would soon be crushed, sooner or later. The thieves would be back, and without Gatoo to pay them, would raid the village of all processions. _It's a real shame. _She thought, halfheartedly.

"Arisa-san.." She lifted her head slightly, acknowledging the man before her with ease.

"Yes, Tetsuo?" He stepped away from the shadows.

"A man named Nagak Masashi, has stolen something valuable from one of our dearest clients." Tetsuo stated casually, sharp eyes fixated on her. "It's a scroll that's been passed down from generations of his family."

Arisa stood up, brushing off the dirt from her attire.

"Dead or alive?" She inquired, the calm tone of her voice never wavering. Tetsuo smiled.

"Dead." The wind rustled around them, having a calming effect over her, as she briefly went over the..'mission.'

It was nothing special, her objectives were to find out who the man was, kill him, and retrieve the scroll. Maybe she could even bring back the head for the client.

But like all assassinations, there was always risks. She had no information on her target besides his name; he could be a petty thief, or even a skilled shinobi. 'Nagak Masashi' might not even be his name. It was these factors that always seemed to complicate her task. Tetsuo knew she hated not knowing the slightest information about her victim. _He probably doesn't know much about this guy, either. _

"On one condition," She responded casually. "You're doubling my original price."

Tetsuo's charming smile turned into an unattractive scowl. Her eyes flickered with amusement. Ever since Gatoo's incompetent bandits were chased away by the villagers, the business was moving gruelingly slow. The bandits - though unimpressive - were usually paid one-fourth of her normal pay to complete assassinations. Tetsuo had once told her that they were a expendable, unlimited resource that helped him earn a lot of money. What better opportunity to increase her price, than now?

"Really, Arisa-san, remember who helped you--" Arisa rolled her eyes.

"You supervised over the academy. I was the one who killed my way to the top." She interrupted curtly, "All you did was introduce me to a service which I would've eventually found on my own accord. Now, it's double the price, or I'm leaving."

Tetsuo heaved a large sigh, knowing that he'd have to give in. At the moment, she was his only reliable source who would get the job done quickly.

"Fine." He snarled, "I expect to see you in two and a half weeks." Her eyes danced.

"Make it two."

* * *

Like every other assassination mission, Arisa was given a name. Nagak Masashi.

What came next was the part she disliked the most. She had to figure out his daily routine, weaknesses and even hobbies. Unfortunately, it always seemed to result in her hiding in a tree, or some uncomfortable area for approximately.. twenty-four hours. She knew it was essential for the mission to be completed successfully.. but it was so _boring_. Plus, it was always the same type of guy: rich, obese, and an alcoholic. A sigh escaped her lips.

Maybe if she was lucky, this Masashi guy could turn out to be a shinobi. Chuunin? Jounin? Maybe even ANBU? She would categorize his skill with a bat of her eyelashes, and then analyze him for an opening like a predator. And when she did, he would be gone. Just like the rest of the her victims. _Lifeless_.

And then she would clean her blade, with care like she usually did, before returning to retrieve yet another mission. This had become her life; a never ending cycle of cold assassinations, money that she no longer cared for, and more bodies. It would continue like this..until she was killed.

Yet, strangely enough it didn't bother her. Nor did the fact that she could never experience the comfort of feeling safe. Why would she, when death itself meant nothing to her? She could feel it's familiar presence, trailing her wherever she went and breathing down her neck. It was waiting for her. One falter, one slip up..was all it took.

And she was accustomed to it. There was no other option.

If she was scared of death like every other human being was, she would crumble. Her presence at the top of the food chain would topple over, and shatter, and she would become nothing. It was something she couldn't afford, for her sake and her sanity. Oshiro, Arisa could not be scared of death.

And so, she stayed where she was; on the very edge of death and insanity, where her demons could _almost_ catch a taste of her, but not quite. It was where she would always remain.

Yet another sigh escaped her lips, as she directed her attention to the task at hand. _Focus._

"Henge no jutsu!" Arisa, like all assassins, knew that changing her appearance was completely necessary. The mask she usually wore would be too suspicious, so she discarded it aside for later. Casually, she unsheathed her sword, and examined her reflection.

The woman staring back at her was the complete opposite of what she was. She had light strands of chestnut hair that gleamed in the sunlight and framed _not_ dark blue, but _warm_ hazel eyes. Arisa tilted her head from side to side, carefully inspecting all angles. It was perfect - the disguise showed not a particularly attractive woman, nor an unpleasant one. No, it was somewhere in between; a plain face, innocent eyes, and most importantly, a face that would blend into the crowd. She looked approachable, harmless, and even _friendly_.

Though no jutsu could conceal the distinct edge to her eyes. Nevertheless, this was as good as it gets.

Even her attire had changed -- no longer the black, customized kimono, but neutral shorts and a simple creamy shirt. It too, was designed to be plain, and discreet. She looked normal, like a business woman of sorts, who carried a bag that held items for trade. (Though many would be quite surprised to see swords and weapons inside.)

Studying herself once more, Arisa forced a fake smile onto her lips, before disappearing into the Water Country.

* * *

She walked casually into the streets, at the edges where there were more shadows than people. Every once and a while she would stray off her path, her figure effortlessly sliding through the crowds of people. But at the same time, her eyes would be alert, listening to the conversations.

"I can't believe she's going to marry someone--"

"--how much is it?"

"What?! I can't hear you?"

"Did you hear about the Chuunin exams?!"

"It's hosted in Konoha--"

Her eyes narrowed in annoyance, hearing no information of value. This Masashi guy either kept to himself, or she was not in the right place. Maybe she would travel to the Fire country if she didn't get any answers here.

Suddenly, a young man collided into her, causing her bag to tumble to the ground.

"Oh--miss, I am so sorry! Sometimes I'm just too clumsy for my own good." His wide, green eyes stared down at her. "Here, let me help you.."

Arisa watched him pick up her bag, calculating his moves. But once his eyes locked onto hers again, she smiled.

"No, it's alright." She let out a laugh, "Really, it was my fault." The man looked relieved, and chuckled.  
"That's quite a heavy bag you got there." He spoke, running his hands through his short hair. "I hope nothing inside of it's broken."

_Why is he still talking to me?_ Arisa's suspicion grew stronger, but she let out another laugh that made her want to cringe.

"I'm sure it's fine.." She replied, her eyes scanning him, "But I _would_ like my wallet back." His eyes widened in alarm, and he quickly bolted in the other direction. Arisa merely watched him run, her eyes lazily trailing after him. There was no need to make a big fuss, and draw attention to herself; she could handle this easily.

Once he started to vanish from sight, she stepped into the shadows, and disappeared in a blink of an eye to the rooftops. It was easy to spot his hasty, panicked silhouette from this height. She even found it a bit amusing to see him run into people, constantly turning his head in paranoia. Of course, Arisa wouldn't kill him in the middle of the streets, where there was many witnesses, so he was safe for now.

_Oh. _She mused cruelly._ He turned a corner._

The idiot had disappeared into an alley, where the shadows were even darker, and the walls, close. There was no where to run besides forward, or backward. The perfect spot for an assassin to strike. She leaped down.

"Holy shit!" The man yelped in a mixture of horror and surprise, as she appeared gracefully in front of him. Immediately, he began pleading on his knees. "I-I'm so _so_ sorry. I should have known there was something wrong when I heard metal in your bag.. Here!" He hastily threw her wallet at her, before taking out everything in his pocket. Jewelery, more money and all sorts valuable items. "Take it!"

Arisa merely tilted her head slightly, before pulling out a kunai. He paled considerably.

"_Those_," She started in a calm voice, gesturing towards the items on the floor. "Are of no use to me. But perhaps _you_ are."

The man trembled. She stepped closer.

"Do you know someone named Nagak Masashi?" She questioned, in a tauntingly, slow voice. His eyes lit up with recognition.

"Masashi? Y-Yes, I do!" He stumbled over his words slightly, "I sold something to him a couple weeks ago. Uh, it-it was..a..a.."

"A scroll?" Arisa prompted, raising an eyebrow. He nodded vigorously, but kept his eyes trained on the kunai twirling in her hand.

"Yes! He was a collector, a retired Chuunin, who gave me a lot of money for it. Uh," His face screwed up in concentration, "he's old. Forty eight, or something. You can tell because of his roots."

"So he dyes his hair?"

"Yeah, to black. I think he was tall, complained about his chest a bit." Arisa nodded.

"You said he was a retired Chuunin, from..?" The man answered instantly.

"Konoha." Her eyes darkened.

"I see, and whereabouts did you get the scroll from?" He hesitated. She stepped closer.

"There was a dead man in the woods, killed by someone. I--I thought he'd have some money on him, but found the scroll instead."

"Ah. Thank you."

His green eyes widened.

"So--I can go now, right?" She smiled, and shrugged.

"You're of..no use to me anymore."

The man looked terrified, and got up from his knees, ready to run. "But you..you said..!"

"I promised nothing."

And with that, she lodged the kunai to his throat.


	3. Quality, Not Quantity

**Author's note: **Here is another chapter. There's nothing I really want to say, except a thanks for the reviews. )

* * *

_"Arisa-san, it is important that you complete this mission."_

Tetsuo's last words rang through her head. She was skeptical - when hadn't she completed a mission successfully?

_Tap. Tap Tap. _Her light steps could barely be distinguished as she traveled swiftly through the cool waters. Why was Tetsuo doubting her now? He had seen her nature, who she was. He had even seen her childhood, and watched her stare at the blood that stained her hands, realizing it was not her own.

_Perhaps_, Arisa told herself, _he was just annoyed of having to pay double the price. _It wouldn't be a first - Tetsuo maintained the Mist organization for shinobi. He, along with others, had been in charge of the exams, and recruited all sorts of graduating shinobi. Money, of course, was required in order to provide tools and weapons.

_"It's not quantity." _He had told her once. _"It's the quality of the shinobis we have that separates us from the rest."_

This was true, she had concluded, and it was the only way she would have it. The difficulty of graduating from other shinobi villages was no where near as hard as the Mist's expectations. Unlike them, other shinobi villages needed a variety of nin to protect their large society. They assigned them into groups to balance out the other's weaknesses as a compromise. The group would then be expected to complete their tasks and their duties, _together_, while supporting one another. Arisa couldn't comprehend the level of their.._stupidity_. She worked alone, by herself. Her life was not going to be assured by 'teammates.' It was her, and _only_ her. There was no way in hell she would trust anyone else to watch her back. This ensured that if she were to die, it would be her fault. _Her_ incompetence, and _her_ failure. Because unlike them, she did not need a security blanket of comrades.

Long ago, she had decided that there was no time to help others. A partner would only hinder the mission by their weaknesses. Even now, she was making up twice the speed than she would have, had she not been alone. She didn't need to stop and eat. Pills were all her body required to energize. She didn't need to stop and rest, either, unless it was necessary.

_Tetsuo wanted the mission completed. _She thought to herself. _And I'll complete it, maybe even ahead of schedule._

Her slightly soaked feet made contact with dry ground, but her speed never faltered.

It had been like this for days--_run, pill, run, pill, stop, rest, sleep, run, run, run, pill, run. _

It was nothing special, nothing new. And soon, she found herself in Konoha's territory, their tall trees surrounding her. The same instinctive feeling found itself in the pit of her stomach once again, but she dismissed it. Grudges, old memories. That's all it was.

_  
Her dark eyes stared up at the mask. It had a cold, expressionless surface, resembling that of an animal. It was merely a facade to conceal murderous intentions. _

_Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the dim glint of a blade. It was creeping closer and closer to her small figure, but she did nothing. Instead her mind, a child's mind at that, was trying to understand. What was happening? Why did this person kill her parents? She wanted to ask the stranger just that, but couldn't seem to open her mouth. There was so little time left, the blade was close._

_Suddenly, an arm reached out. _

_"Don't." It said. "She's only a child."_

_"The mission requests no witnesses." The voice seemed shaky, uneven. _

_"I will not allow you to kill a child because of your inability to stay hidden." The other voice responded firmly. _

_And there she stood, staring up at them, more confused than ever._

_  
_Like others, Arisa was once a child. And like all children, she was oblivious to the world around her. Yet, she was forced to comprehend the concepts of killing at the age of six. She wondered how much it had changed her. What would she be now? Would she still be a kunoichi? An assassin?

Arisa's thoughts ceased as her eyes stared through the slits of her mask. There stood Konoha's gates, tall and proud, and with only two measly guards standing on guard. It astonished her. She'd imagine there'd be more than two guards. Four guards perhaps, and several more stationed around the border. But _two_..

_No. _Her thoughts told her assertively, _infiltrating the village must be harder than this. Just wait. _

That she did. She waited for an hour and a half, overly cautious because it looked _too _easy. Too good to be true.

Suddenly, three figures approached the entrance, and she stared at them, fascinated. They were sand-nin, obviously Genin, and obviously in their team. There were two males, and one female. All very suspicious looking. The blonde girl processed a large fan, tied to her back, and the boy next to her was covered in a black outfit, purple designs covering his face. Both, looked wary, while the redhead in between them looked stoic, hands crossed, with an unblinking stare.

After being asked, the three promptly showed their traveling passes.

"Chuunin exams, eh?" One of the guards smirked, "In you go."

The gates were opened, and they casually strolled in. Arisa blinked, suddenly remembering the gossip she had heard, back in the Water Country.

_You'd think they'd enhance their security more. _She thought to herself dryly, watching as the gates started to close at a gruellingly slow pace. This was opportunity, and she didn't intend waste it. Within seconds, she was in front of the guard, knocking him out cold, before advancing on the other one.

He didn't know what hit him.

She lowered her arm, and calmly walked through the gates. The guards would wake up in ten minutes, thinking they had dozed off. But even if they were suspicious, there was nothing they could do about it; she was already inside.

_They'll probably think the Genins did it. _She mused quietly to herself, as she retreated into the nearby trees.

* * *

"Nagak Masashi -- where could you be?" Arisa whispered, as she observed the busy streets of Konoha from her hidden location.

If her facts were correct, then he should be an old, forty-something man. She remembered the man telling her of how he was a collector of sorts, and a retired Chuunin. This meant that Konoha had records on him, along with his address and contact information.. Everything she needed to know.

But to infiltrate the Hokage's building in order to obtain the folder..

It was too risky for her taste. Getting caught, and being seen was not an option. Though, she could uphold a disguise as a Sand nin..

That would be interesting. Alliances broken, accusations, defensive nations..

Hell, if she really wanted to, she could start a war. It was almost frightening how easy it would be.

Arisa let herself stretch, before pulling out yet another pill. She popped it in her mouth, before chewing on it slowly. It had a bitter taste to it, slightly crunchy, but not too unpleasant. Arisa knew she'd have to eat real food soon enough. Pills were highly effective, but constant doses of it would result in a very fatigued body. Arisa definitely did not need that -- not when Konoha was consumed with, not only by their shinobis, but other countries as well. She was treading on high waters.

Minutes ticked by, and soon, Arisa could feel the effects of the pill taking place. The slight ache in her stomach was filled, and she could concentrate on finding her target with ease. Satisfied, she continued with her search, paying closer attention to the 'antique' stores, libraries, and the shinobi-based ones.

_"So he dyes his hair?"_

_"Yeah, to black. I think he was tall, complained about his chest a bit." _

Hmm. Arisa decided to pay attention to the pharmacies as well.

..

Eventually, the crowd of people started to increase, followed by talkative conversations, and business-like attitudes. Even from where she was, (which was in the confines of a tree) she could still hear the busy noises of traffic and the occasional word float into her ear. It was starting to aggravate her, since she had been in this position for over three hours, staring at the same busy streets of Konoha unblinkingly. She could feel her body starting to feel fatigue, as the sun rose higher and higher. It glared down her mercilessly, burning it's heat through her skin. She was already as stiff as it is, but was now slowly feeling as if she was starting to suffocate underneath her black attire.

At least the morning of Konoha had been tolerable. A bit chilly, but certainly not as cold as it had been in the Mist. She had felt fine, feeling the gentle caress of the sun on her fingertips. There was nothing to complain about.

But now, Arisa realized that Konoha had drastic temperature changes in it's afternoons. Her clothing, made to hold various types of weapons, was loose, and stopped a decimeter from her knees--was completely black, with the exception of dark blue around her waist. The sun, of course, had to target darker colors the most, and _of course_, Arisa refused to leave her position to change, and there was no option of taking her mask off.

A sigh escaped her lips, and for a moment she contemplated on just taking a break, fetch some real food. Maybe she _should_ just go change.

But the thoughts were quickly discarded as an obnoxious voice reached her ears.

"Stupid Kakashi-sensei!" It said. Arisa realized whoever it was, was accompanied by two others. "We came late, and he's still not here!"

Her eyes perked up slightly, noting that they were heading to _her_ tree.

"Genins.." She murmured, her usual calm voice holding an edge of annoyance in it. As expected, Genins couldn't exactly suppress their chakra.

Yet another sigh escaped her lips, as she turned her head to identify them. Sure enough, there were three kids. She blinked.

Blonde hair, blinding orange?_ Pink _hair, red outfit?

Her eyes twitched, as she resisted the urge to turn away. Instead, she held her stare, mainly in disbelief.

What was this, some sort of pathetic joke? How could they possibly be proud to wear a hitai-ate, looking like _that_? Was Konoha that desperate, or was this what they had sunk to?

Pink hair, orange outfit.

She couldn't believe it. Didn't the academy at least go over the concepts of 'stealth', one of the most important things of being a shinobi? Couldn't they manage something so trivial, yet crucial at the same time? She inwardly scoffed. _I guess not. _If they had, then the kids before her wouldn't stand out like black and white. It was as if they were _asking_ to be slit across the throat.

"..Baka." The voice dragged her from her disgust, notifying her of the third presence. She had forgotten about the other boy, too busy staring at the others. Next to them, he looked like a shadow. Maybe that was how they completed their missions, she mused. The first two would stand in the open, and their opponent would laugh, and then the other boy would kill him.

_What am I saying? _She hissed to herself. _They probably haven't even killed anybody yet. _

But still, she wasn't about to risk being here any longer. The Genins might not notice her presence, but their sensei might. After all, she was growing tired, she didn't want to wait around until her chakra started to leak.

Quickly, her eyes scanned the area to find an easy escape route. _Wait a minute._

Arisa froze, before gluing her eyes to the far away streets. It was almost as if a bell was ringing in her head. There he was; a tall, old man, with black hair visiting the pharmacy. Long sleeves, even on a hot day like this.

_"Yes! He was a collector, a retired Chuunin--"_

Makes sense. Only a shinobi would wear something like that. Long sleeves could easily disguise weapons, mainly kunais.

A ghost of a smile crossed her features, satisfaction coursing through her. _Finally_. She slowly stood up, ready to disappear, when..

A kunai was thrown towards her, precise in aim, but slow enough for her to dodge, even in her condition. Arisa easily flipped over to another branch without hesitation. It really was no surprise to her though. In fact, she felt calmer than ever. That is, until she saw those blood red eyes stare up at her.

"Sharingan.." She murmured.


	4. Confusion

**Author's Note: **As we all know - school is back. This unfortunately means that I'll have less time to write & update.  
Good news, however, is that I have already written quite a bit. It just needs to be edited to my liking and posted.

Disclaimer:I do not own Naruto, or it's characters. The only character I do own, however, would be Arisa, and Tetsuo.

Enjoy, and please do leave a review.

* * *

That was why they looked so familiar. The Genin team she had seen months ago at the Mist bridge. She hadn't recognized them through the sliver of leaves..

"Who are you?" The boy with the sharingan asked, as she leaped from the tree, landing elegantly on the solid ground. She couldn't believe it -- _they_ were the ones who disturbed her, and now _he _demanded to know who _she_ was. She could feel restraint and anger grind up against each other within herself.

_The arrogance.._She thought to herself, as his eyes penetrated hers, a cocky smirk threatening to spill across his face, while his teammates stared at him in awe. _'How did he know she was there?!' _Konoha-nin were all the same.

Arisa folded her hands across her chest, feeling the soothing relief of metal against skin, before responding coolly, "It's common courtesy that you introduce yourself first."

He didn't look the slightest bit amused, and she could tell that he was examining her with those eyes of his._ Was she dangerous? Who the hell was she? How many weapons was she carrying?_ There was no doubt about the twin blades strapped onto her back, but he couldn't possibly know how many weapons she was _really_ carrying underneath her clothes.

"Sasuke-kun, what if it's just another ninja entering for the Chuunin exams..?" The pink haired girl spoke quietly, the hesitance in her voice evident. It was enough to know that they had made this mistake already. Arisa had to stop herself from shaking her head. For three kids, they sure were lucky. How was it that they weren't ten feet under by now?

"If she was, where is her hitai-ate?" The Uchiha never took his eyes off her, as he said this. The accusations were clear as daylight. "Why would she be hiding in the trees?"

_None of your damn business. _She wanted to say, but was quickly silenced when another voice spoke.

"That mask.." Naruto, if she recalled properly. "Are you..are you related to Haku?"

The recognition sent enough waves through her, making her blink in surprise. She hadn't expected that, but it was true. Their masks really were similar to one another. But instead of being white and red, hers was black and red. The designs were still relatively the same though; slits for eyes, and the bold, swirling designs for the mouth. Arisa wasn't bothered about that though; her mask already showed the engravings of the Mist--it was inevitable that her identity would be revealed once they saw her. No, what really bothered her was more about the way he said Haku's name. Something in his voice.. She couldn't pinpoint it exactly. _Was it sympathy? Concern? Sadness?_

Arisa's thoughts dissipated upon the cool sensation of metal against her warm throat. Unfazed, her blue eyes turned away from Naruto, becoming fixated on the Uchiha. The cocky little bastard thought he could actually kill her? Arisa wanted to laugh, but refrained from doing so. Instead, she occupied herself by staring into the depths of those eyes.

Blood red against black, the colors of her mask. Ringlets outlining a single coma. She took a deep, steady breath.

They really were something, weren't they?

"Uchiha..Sasuke." She rolled his name in her mouth a bit, feeling a tinge of admiration as she said 'Uchiha'. "I warned him about your eyes."

He raised an eyebrow, his stare hardening. Did he really think he had control over her? Was that supposed to be intimidating?

"Everything has flaws, you see." Arisa continued calmly, almost casually. "And that was bound to be his."

Pause. The Uchiha was growing tense, he could feel the situation starting to turn from that tone of voice. The blade was pushed harder against her throat.

Arisa felt her lips curl faintly, her restraint started to crumble to past grudges and hate. But it didn't show in her voice.

"Yours, however.."

His grip on the kunai made his knuckles turn white, making her features grow grim. She had no business with him. He was the one who had initiated it though.

_Swoosh. _In one fluid movement, Arisa easily disarmed him, allowing the kunai to fly across the air, before landing pathetically into the ground. The Uchiha's eyes widened in momentarily surprise, which cost him greatly, because her sharp eyes had always grasped opportunity. _Flaw. _Within seconds, her fingers found it's way around his neck, and slammed the Uchiha against the trunk of the tree with such force he grimaced.

"They are nothing, you insolent little brat. Far from being capable of defeating Haku." The insult cut deep, making him hiss.

Mercilessly, Arisa tightened her grip, her eyes trailing over his struggling figure, regarding nothing for his lack of air. "He didn't have the heart to kill any of you. But like the good little shinobi you are, you killed him." Her calm voice was betrayed by the clenching, and unclenching of her other fist.

"**..Bitch.**" Her expression darkened behind the mask, watching his red eyes flash angrily. _Such a waste,_Arisa found herself thinking, while staring up at his bloodline. It had captured her interest so easily.. So much in fact, that she paid no heed to the fingers digging into her skin, and the kicks aimed her way.

All that really mattered at that moment was that she _wanted_ them. Those amazing, _amazing_ eyes..

Imperfections known with a single, lazy glance.  
Jutsus copied without an effort.

Speed acquired so naturally..

Arisa wanted to see as clearly as that Uchiha did. Oh how she would go through great lengths just to see a _glimpse_, of his eyes.

_Why couldn't I be the one with the sharingan? _Arisa found herself wondering enviously.

"..Let go of him!"

Her lips formed into a thin line.

"Those eyes are a waste on you." She hissed menacingly, making her thoughts known. His eyes flashed with fury, distorting into an ugly snarl, before whipping a kunai straight to her face. Why hadn't he done so before?

_He was waiting for the right time._Arisa realized.

It was a rather impressive throw for a Genin; accurate aim, thrown from the sleeves with unfaltering speed. She avoided it with a quick tilt of her head.

"Hold it!--person with the mask! You don't get it!"

_'I' don't get it?_

Arisa was surprised to see a short, orange figure blindly rush to her side, attempting to pry her arms off his teammate. She couldn't help but wonder whether or not it was a brave move, or a very, _very_stupid one. "Sasuke didn't kill him!" _What?_

That didn't make sense. He was the one with the sharingan. The closest thing to killing Haku. If an Uchiha didn't kill him, who did? _Naruto?_

Arisa became confused. But at the same time, she found herself growing wary of watching the Uchiha gasp for air, Naruto attack her arm, and the pink girl scream. There was no longer any patience left in her to be tested today, especially by brats like them. As if she wasn't tired enough.

Why couldn't they all just.._shut up?_

In a flick of a wrist, she had thrown the blonde boy off of her like a flea, and directed a kunai at the girl's direction. Her shouts halted, getting the hint, but still did not remove the look of worry and concern for her teammate.

Arisa cursed inwardly, feeling the exhaustion taking it's toll on her. She needed another pill. _But that was the last one.._

What the hell was she doing anyway, picking fights with Genins? The mission was still uncompleted, and she didn't want to give a reason for Tetsuo to label her as incompetent. Besides, everything was _relatively_simple now that she had found out who he was. All that was left to do was to kill the target, take the scroll, and get the hell out of Konoha without getting caught..or seen. _A bit complicated now, thanks to these brats._

Arisa's eyes flickered to the three before her, as the inevitable question rang through her head. _To kill.. or not to kill. _

No witnesses - that was how she worked. Nothing good could come out of people knowing her presence in Konoha. But upon the sight of three dead Genins..

Not much of a choice of a hidden presence. Either way, the village would be wary.

_Kill the other two, but not the Uchiha. _Why not? _He has the eyes. Something as valuable as that should not be wasted. _

She could feel her grip waver slightly, letting the Uchiha take in a large breath of air.

Leaving him alive.. that would make him a witness. But killing them in broad daylight like this?!

_**Think!**__To kill or not to kill? You're a kunoichi, you have to fucking think! _A voice growled angrily in her ears. But all that ran through her mind was the aching hunger in her stomach, the way her muscles screamed exhaustion, and the lingering instinct in her stomach that made her want to throw up. _Fuck the Uchiha, just kill them all. They did kill Haku, did they not?_

The thought of Haku getting killed by such 'shinobi' made her queasy. Real disgusting, imagining Haku dying by their incompetent hands.

But it didn't make any sense - why would Haku let himself die? He would've.._should've_killed for Zabuza.

Arisa could feel the pressure of the sun's vibrant rays glare angrily down at her, and found herself missing the comfort of shadows more than ever. Lines of curses flowed inside of her, as she felt her vision start to deteriorate. Something bad was going to happen, she could taste it in her mouth. That foul, bitter taste, mixed with the relentless combinations of senses telling her to leave the situation was _not_ appetizing. She had to get out of here, fast.

But to kill, or not to kill?

Scrambled thoughts flying everywhere, accompanied by a pounding headache. Nothing was making sense - why couldn't she..oh god, was she thirsty.

_Do whatever will lead to a successful mission. _But what was _that? _Those weren't straight answers, they just made her think even more.

"DAMMIT! DID YOU NOT JUST HEAR ME?! Sasuke didn't kill Haku!"

Shut up..

Just shut up.

Arisa closed her eyes.

"He was the one who **wanted** to die!" The words rung painfully in her mind, sounding louder than ever. When it finally registered meaning..

She froze, her body growing numb.

No longer understanding, no longer comprehending the situation. Her thoughts about the mission, and what was thought to be a simple assassination flew out her mind. Instead, she gazed into those red, demonic eyes, full of hatred and anger.

Death. He..Haku, wanted to die? Arisa lowered the Uchiha slightly, but kept her firm grip in place.

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"

She wondered why this was. Why would Haku be so willing to go to let him fall to the demons?

Wait..that's right. _Haku didn't __**have**__ demons awaiting him. _Arisa realized, stunned. _How could someone shed so much blood, and still be pure?_

He was always talking about important people, she reminisced. He had once said, that she, _Oshiro Arisa_, was an important person to _him_. That _Zabuza_was an important person to him. Someone of significance - someone that mattered. She and Zabuza, soaked with fresh, crimson blood, that tainted even the underneaths of their fingernails, was_ important _to someone like Haku?

Arisa remembered her first meeting of the two. Back then, she was an unsteady, dysfunctional child. Shaking wildly and emotions flowing out of her like an open book.

_Not understanding..not comprehending. _

Red everywhere - that's all she dared to remember.

The smell of blood.

The sound of metal against metal.

Flesh against flesh.

Cold, dead eyes... _Fucking hell_, was she trembling?

_Just don't think. _She told herself.

_There's no meaning of what you remember. Nothing. Not a damn thing. _

_You are an assassin, and assassins are not paid to think. They are paid to kill. _

**Paid to kill.** Her eyes flickered, set on her decision. It made sense. Just kill, no thoughts required further. Just kill, kill, _kill_.  
Arisa easily evaded the shurikens and countless duplicates of 'Narutos' lunging blindly at her. Instead, she directed her attention to the kunai on her left hand, all the while never taking her eyes of his demonic ones. Wouldn't take much force - Arisa was ready to plunge the sharp weapon into the base of his neck.

Maybe it wouldn't hurt so bad. But who was she to know?

"Such a waste, Uchiha." She whispered softly, hardly audible. "I _had_ no business with you."

And then she moved the kunai, finding herself desperately hoping that the blood wouldn't spray onto her mask, or touch her clothes. There was no need to make her reak of death further. _That's right - just ignore the screaming, the thoughts._

With the kunai tipped at it's perfectly set angle, she raised his suffocating form up, which no longer had much air in it to struggle, and..

The clock ticked by, suddenly becoming agonizingly slow, as if to deliberately spite her. _Tick, tock..you're dead..?_

She blinked, feeling her surroundings blur, her back against rough bark, and her air supply shortened. It only took a second before she realized that she was suffocating, being choked by..

Crimson. Black ringlets.

Her body did not tense, and she wasn't even the slightest bit bothered by not being able to breath. Instead, she was confused.

"Uchiha Itachi..?" The eye glared, it's three comas intriguing her. But soon enough, her eyes focused on something other than it's color. There was silver hair. "No..You're not him."

Was that disappointment in her voice?

"No, I'm not." The man confirmed calmly. "I am, however, the one who killed Haku."

* * *

Does this make up for the gruellingly boring parts of the last chapter? I sure hope so. Please leave a review - they are loved by all authors, and are served (to an extent) as motivation. Thank you for reading.


	5. Exhaustion

**Author's Note: **Hmm, there's nothing I really need to say, except that the storyline is slowly progressing and will become more interesting in the next few chapters. Oh, and I didn't thoroughly reread this chapter as much as I should have, so if you see any grammatical errors, please tell me. Thanks, and enjoy.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, or it's characters. The only character I do own, however, would be Arisa, and Tetsuo.

* * *

Silver hair, only one sharingan. Arisa's stare hardened.

"You must be Hatake Kakashi, the copy-nin." Her words came out in soft hisses, easily disguising her fatigued body.

Exhaustion.. was she going to fucking collapse out of exhaustion?

"Correct you are. But who are you?" His grip tightened on her neck. "What are you doing in Konoha?" If Arisa had more energy, maybe she would've smile, and replied in a sickeningly sweet voice, '_I'm here to spill blood in Konoha.'_

"My name.." She started, instead, while quickly composing herself to make sure her words did not come out as choked. "Is of no importance, Hatake Kakashi. Now if you would gladly move aside, and let go of me, that would be much appreciated. I have no business with you." In fact, she had no business with _any_ of them. Her only concern was for the mission. Blood and gore wasn't needed unless it was necessary.

Kakashi stared her down. He too, was covered in a mask. Except his was a thin layer of fabric, and didn't cover his entire face. She inwardly scoffed. Another ninja might've been fooled: '_You can't take him seriously..look at his hair!_' But she knew better, taking the opportunity to analyze him thoroughly. The man was misleading--having a lazy appearance, wearing a Jounin outfit, and teaching a bunch of stupid kids. But the grip he had on her, and those impassive eyes..

ANBU. Definitely in the ranks of ANBU. Gifted, talented, _skilled_.

With killer instincts..

"I can't do that." And a flawless tool to Konoha. She nearly smiled.

"I know." And with that, her legs collided against his stomach, shoving him off. Her figure easily skidded across the ground, feet digging into the solid ground, before stopping. She stood up slowly, almost casually, before taking in discreet breaths of fresh air.

It was in that moment when she had recovered from the lack of oxygen, did she truly realize the situation she was in. Normally, this wouldn't of been a problem - she would've enjoyed challenging herself against a sharingan user. But her mission was supposed to be an undercover one, and the fact of how she was discovered was huge. Three kids, two sharingan users.

One against four, and knowing her body, worn out from the lack of real food, oxygen, and from traveling a large distance, put her at a huge disadvantage. Sure, the Genins would be handled easily, but the copy-nin..

_Fuck. _

Even if she did kill them - there was always witnesses. The debris from the fight would rise, and other shinobis would be curious. Her other option was to run away.

But they'd look for her. Detection, and awareness of all of Konoha's nin wasn't something she wanted to trifle with. Dammit, what should she do?

_Kunoichi are not paid to think, but to kill. _A soothing voice told her. _They are merely tools. _

And so Arisa kept calm, like the tool she was, her posture never wavering, and her eyes never blinking.

The only option was to escape, she decided. Her body was exhausted, with almost so much fight in it without decent food and rest.

It was a good thing she didn't harbor emotions such as pride, or arrogance. That would've been a real blow to an ego; running away from a bunch of kids and their sensei. Thank Kami.

So without further ado, her fingers quickly molded themselves into a jutsu. It was a common one, because she knew Kakashi could see through it, and copy it with ease. There was no way in hell she was going to let him steal the jutsus that she had accumulated throughout the years of assassinations.

Besides, the jutsu hardly used any chakra, but was still highly efficent in confusing her opponents. She exhaled slowly, enjoying the cool temperature surrounding her, as the mist started to gather. But there was no time to waste. The mist was going to raise a few eyebrows, and if she wasn't careful, shinobi of all villages would be swarming the area in a matter of ten minutes. She had to leave, quickly.

"Going somewhere?" Arisa could feel the warmth of the voice caress her ear. Automatically, it was reduced to smoke by a flick of her wrist. _Only a clone, _she told herself.

A sigh escaped her lips. It seems as if she would have to fight her way out of here after all. Arisa unsleathed her twin blades, a bit large for her size, before saying,

"This wasn't what I had wanted." No response. "Kakashi-san, you should've taught your students not to interfere with other affairs but their own."

More silence. Her midnight blue eyes slowly swept the battlefield. The copy-nin was gone, no longer where he was before. His students, however..

At least the Uchiha knew how to hide in trees. The others were still standing in plain field, confusion written on their faces, and unable to see her penetrating gaze through the mist.

"What is that you want?"

His voice sounded like a ghost. Her grip tightened on her tainted swords.

Screaming.

Crying.

Blood stained hands.

"Maybe I will tell you before I slit your throat." She breathed, before disappearing. They no longer conversed after that.

Instead, it was filled with the sounds of metal against metal. Arisa ignored the screaming of her muscles, and twirled gracefully, her movements like a dancer's. She appreciated the fight, and found herself more willing to accept that Haku had died by this man's hand, than the brats he taught. _He was probably the one who killed Zabuza as well_.

_Swish. _Her blades swept through nothing but crisp air once again. Arisa found herself forgetting that she was wielding two blades, not one.

_Swish_. Hatake Kakashi was gifted at dodging attacks. His breathing increased every time though, and the centimeters started to grow to milimeters.

_Soon enough_, she told herself. _You will get him like the others, soon enough. _

_Swish._ A knowing smile crossed her concealed features, as strands of silver hair started to fall. Her blades mercilessly whirled around her, as she landed on the ground.

Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. She hadn't been aware how hard she was breathing.

Her hands twitched. _You are so close, _they told her. Arisa found herself springing into the air once again. It was the strangest feeling, the connection between a sword and it's owner. Because when she battled, it's intentions and hers intertwined. Before she knew it--could comprehend it, could understand it--the urge to _slash, tear, kill _grew into a need. Her senses became so accurate, she could hear the movements of every single, individual leaf _move_.

It was when she truly became a tool, no longer thinking--comprehending, understanding.

Her arms and limbs moved for her, and eventually..

_Slash. _Her swords came into contact with flesh. Arisa swung the blades as deep, and as far as she could, before landing violently against the ground.

Blood. Red, fresh, warm blood.

Her dark eyes widened beneath the mask. She could feel it's stickiness, all over her, covering her clothes, her pale flesh.

The numbing sensations in her body stopped. The screaming of muscles were back, and so were the whirling haze of her thoughts.

_Finish the job. _Was what they said.

Her legs stepped forward, refusing to buckle and crash. She examined the body before her like so many times before.

"You got me, ne?" Arisa froze, upon hearing his voice. There he was, leaning against the tree with weary eyes, and blood oozing out of his chest in the shape of an 'X'.

"You're a skilled shinobi, Kakashi-san." _And since I have to go, I'll let the brats live. _

She raised her blades.

_Swoosh. _

The blade met nothing but air, and she could feel a light tap on her shoulder. Without hesitation, she turned around.

_What..?_

Soft smile on pale skin. Brown eyes. Angelic features.

Her eyes widened. _Haku?_

The grip on her blades loosened for a fraction of a second. And that was all he needed.

_One mistake, one slip up._

Her body landed on the ground with a loud 'thump.'

* * *

Yes, this is what happens if you are out in the sun too much, or simply depriving your body of it's sustenance. Yay for heatstroke.  
Anyways, I hoped you liked it. Please review, and thanks to those who do.

- SPS.


	6. Morino Ibiki

**Author's Note: **So far, what I've been noticing is the lack of reviews besides Akizakura202, and AmY-DyLaN-SoHiA-aNiKi (thank you, by the way.) I'm wondering if I'm doing anything wrong, or maybe it's just the lack of updates? I don't know, I just thought that there would be more input & constructive critism, because apparently there's approximately 50 readers for this story.

But regardless, thank you for actually reading the story (which I hope isn't too boring) & supporting me. =)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, or it's characters. The only character I do own, however, would be Arisa, and Tetsuo.

* * *

Cold, Arisa thought. She was very, very cold.

_Drowsy as well_, another part of her noted. But she felt better, with the exception of her aching body. The dryness in her throat was gone, her face felt refreshingly cool, and her stomach--full. That was good. She exhaled slowly, before attempting to get rid of her body stiffness by stretching. But..

_But?_

She couldn't seem to do so. There was something tied around her arms and legs, preventing her movement. It was something thick, with a rough texture; like countless knotted threads, resembling that of..

Ropes. Her midnight orbs pried themselves open, as a painful ringing screech pounded into her head like an alarm. The copy-nin, the blood, Haku..** The mission**.

_Get out. You've got to get out of here. _

"Excellent. You're awake." The raspy voice made her head turn with such force it hurt. It belonged to an elderly man, whom was sitting calmly in the desk before her. Graying hair, white beard, holding a wooden pipe in his left hand. She tilted her gaze upwards.

That red symbol..

_Sarutobi Sandaime, the Third Hokage. _The sound in her ears became deafening, merging with 'Get the fuck out of here!' like water. But how was she to do _that_? He was the Hokage, whom had countless of shinobi at his disposal - and she was bound pathetically against a chair.

A feeling of despair flooded into her, as she glared at the stacks of paper on his desk. How could things go so wrong? A simple assassination was all it was. Get in, kill him, get out.

Then why was she in front of the Third?

_There's nothing to blame but your own incompetence. _It was all too true. She was the one who slipped up, right at the beginning where she didn't immediately run away because they were only Genin. Fate had decided to screw her over, the moment they identified her mask. _Her mask..?_

**Arisa wasn't wearing her mask.** The raw realisation was enough to tear her apart, and grind her into shredded pieces. You see, assassins had rules to abide by, and she had just broken one of the most major ones by revealing her _identity_. What made her Arisa, and not just a passing shadow that could be forgotten. The small differences between alive, and dead.

And though Arisa would not admit it - she felt vulnerable without those shadows. Her eyes locked onto the mask before her, in a longing manner. It's delicate, red swirls gazed back at her mockingly. _You failure_, it said in a cold, condescending tone, _how could you be so stupid?_

Arisa inhaled sharply. There wasn't much to do now. She was as good as dead - her information could easily be brought up by that Naruto kid. They would realize that she had relations with Haku, and Zabuza, then..

Wait._ No, no, __**no!**_That type of information was no longer valuable. Why? Because they were dead and buried ten feet under. She was fucking stupid to think otherwise, more so than any other because she should've gotten used to this by now. It had been months..weeks..days..

She blinked. That was how she got here, wasn't it? Faced with a mere glimpse of Haku - her mind immediately set false hopes that he was still alive and smiling, only to be crushed by the cruel, rational thoughts of '_he's never coming back_'. Of course. She fully embraced the consequences for becoming so weak.

_That's all you need--one mistake. One slip up._

A hearty chuckle ripped through the room. She glanced up warily.

"We haven't been fully acquainted yet, and I'm sure you have many questions." Was that a smile on his face? "My name is Sarutobi Sadaime - I am the Hokage of this village."

Arisa didn't respond because he didn't ask her anything. But he must've seen the look of distress on her face.

"Not to worry, child. You are safe in this room." He took a long puff from his pipe, looking relatively calm while she glared daggers at him.

There was no other word for what she was feeling. It was blinding _rage_, filling up her lungs, making her blood boil, and her throat constrict. The emotion had no direct cause - it was hurling itself at nearly everything; her own stupidity, unaware denial, the damn Uchiha who had gotten her here in the first place, and at _him_, for calling her a 'child'. Hokage or not, he had no right to speak of things he didn't know about - especially since it was the shinobi that worked under _him_ who were responsible for her early ending childhood. It had been him, and the god damned village who had earned income at her expense, and..!

Stop.

_What? No! That fucking bastard deserved to be yelled at--_

Stop.

_..Why?_

**Stop**.

Arisa froze, her pupils dilating slightly as she felt a cooling sensation flow throughout her. It was the strangest, yet most calming feeling that seemed to tweak her senses so acutely, it was almost reassuring. Arisa could now hear the sounds of soft breathing - the distinct gasps of a long term smoker, along with the soft hum of Konoha's streets through the barely opened window. The smoke that had gradually gathered up in the air suddenly became much stronger, penetrating through the endless piles of paper that she somehow knew described trading and housing. Arisa could even feel the countless knots surrounding her body, the amount of loopholes within them, and the awaiting shinobi outside whom were pacing back and forth.

_Now this is not the time, nor the place, to be thinking unnecessary thoughts. _The voice told her sternly. _There are many ways to get out of a situation like this; but in order to do so requires solid, strategic thoughts._The ringing in her head slowly disappeared. _Emotions are a necessity - though they have never been required by kunoichi and are not required now. Do you understand?_

Yes - yes, she did.

Arisa straightened out her face, cleared her thoughts, and returned back to the cold, calculating assassin she was. It was only then she started acting like a ninja - her eyes were discreetly scanning the area for escape routes of any kind, while her mind started flipping through the countless instant killing jutsus she knew of.

Bookshelves, paper and folders. Good distractions if used properly.

One large fan, pens, pencils. The only sharp weapons. Easy to throw, and small..aim for the eyes.

Biggest, most predictable, escape route -- the window.

Complications, risks, consequences. Konoha shinobi, the Hokage, possible Sand shinobi. Consequences? Death.

It was a very risky plan that was too impulsive, and too predictable for an idiot. But it was possible - her chair was slightly uneven, her ropes weren't bound as tight as they could've been. (her blood was still circulating properly) With the right amount of chakra, a slight tilt of the chair, and perfect timing, she could easily get out of it. But..

"But I'm afraid that if you don't cooperate with us, you will be faced with high consequences." The raspy, warning tone of his voice made her snap out of her thoughts. She nodded dully before thinking, _ANBU can be avoided, as for the Hokage - not so much. _

"Now, I am going to ask you a few questions." His voice was lingering slightly on his words, and it irked her. "What is your name?"

Penetrating stare - Arisa didn't even blink.

"Kaori." It was a lie, but nobody expected someone like her to tell the truth. The Hokage didn't seem to notice.

"Ah. Well then, Kaori, what is your purpose in Konoha?" He inquired, before leaning forward slightly.

But when she didn't reply, he started to stroke his beard. "I'm afraid this is crucial information we must obtain, Kaori." Pause. "If you will not tell me under these circumstances, then I am going to have to be forced to use other methods." Arisa knew exactly what these 'methods' were. Torture which usually resulted in death. It didn't matter much - she had always figured 'death' to be a worse case scenario.

"Hokage-sama," The Third blinked in surprise, upon hearing the flawlessly polite voice of hers. "I will not answer that, because there is nothing that I can say that will please you, nor make the circumstances more favorable for me."

Silence. "I suppose there is no other proposition I can propose to you?" His expression looked wary, and tired, but quickly hardened.

"You would be correct." _The honorable Hokage as always_. Arisa could feel the slight curve of her lips.

"Then there is no need to converse with me any further." There was a tone of finality in her voice, as she closed her eyes.

The Hokage nodded, letting out an exasperate sigh, and she could've sworn that was a regretful expression on his face as the door swung open. Heavy footsteps walked in, so blunt it became obvious to her that whoever it was, didn't bother to conceal their footsteps. She suspected that this was suppose to have a intimidating effect on her.

"Kaori, this is our chief interrogator, Morino Ibiki." Arisa opened her eyes, before slowly scanning the man's appearance. Black clothing, heavy boots, jagged scars across his face, and of course, the proud symbol of Konoha on his forehead. Her eyes narrowed. She didn't like him at all.

"Hm, she's young huh?" Ibiki murmured, his voice sounding gruff and low. "Can't wait to get started on her - I've always hated these type of brats."

Arisa could feel the irony in the air, as she scoffed dryly, "Chief interrogator - I believed you meant, 'Konoha's best torture expert.'"

Ibiki turned his steely eyes on hers, "I can clarify that up for you soon enough. But it's best if we go to..a more suitable environment."

Then before she had time to respond, her chair was roughly being hauled out of the room, leaving her to stare blankly at the Third. It was then she realized he was muttering something to himself, and concentrated on the way his lips moved.

_You're right, Ibiki. _She read to herself. _She's..too young._


	7. Panic & Hysteria

**Author's Note: **Thank you Kouyuu'awai, Akizakura202, and Mistress Persephone for reviewing, and everyone who's reading this story. It really does mean a lot.

Anyways, this chapter is going to be confusing. I decided to just get it out there, instead of keeping it on my computer for months and months. I know it's not very well-written, being kind of choppy, and urgh. Nevertheless, I hope you guys can sort of know what's going on.

Happy holidays. =)  
DISCLAIMER:As you all know, I don't own Naruto, blahblahblah - only Arisa and Tetsuo.

* * *

They traveled on the rooftops. Ibiki held her right arm in one tight death grip, while the other shinobi accompanying him, kept a firm hold on her other. Naturally, Arisa prefered the ropes over them, because at least with _those_ she could feel the blood circulating through her limbs. But now, she was too occupied on keeping up with their unusually hurried pace. If she didn't, she would find herself being lifted painfully in the air until she did.

_Those bastards_, Arisa thought darkly to herself. It was their fault she was slowing them down, to a point where even citizens could see their blurred silhouettes. They had injected her with some sort of drug that had immediately started to effect her. It had weakened her strength drastically, along with her focus, and deluded nearly all her senses. The moment the Hokage's door had been shut, they had forcefully stabbed the needle into her thigh. Not only had it been so abrupt - she found herself no longer being able to understand what the hell they were doing (being the effects of the drugs as well.)

It was only then, as she was being dragged over large gaps and chattering people, that she wished she knew more about medical jutsus. Though coming from the Mist, being a medic-nin was hardly needed. It was everyone for themselves, and usually when you got hurt, you were as good as dead. They wouldn't of served much of a purpose besides being brutally slaughtered and screwed over. _But it would be nice to know more than the basics.._

"Hey you, stay awake." The grunting voice made her turn her head slightly. It didn't really sound like Ibiki, so she assumed it was coming from the other shinobi. "I don't wanna haul your lazy ass over there."

Arisa's vision was hazy, barely making out the designs of a bird on his mask. At first this confused her, but then her thoughts managed to mingle with each other long enough to tell her that he was ANBU, and that she had figured this out before. _Right, ANBU, they wear stupid animal masks.._

"Dammit, I think we're losing her Ibiki." The ANBU muttered.

Arisa was barely able to leap up from some nearby tiles, before shutting her eyes.

"Fuck you.." Was what she managed to say before feeling her body being tugged up, and gravity haul her down. "What kind of drug did..you use on me?"

The ANBU let out another grunt, before Ibiki promptly told her to shut the hell up. Upon hearing his non-existent 'please', she complied, letting the gruelling minutes pass by in silence.

Eventually, her worn out, drugged up, body collapsed, no longer caring if they ripped her arms off. Ibiki, and the unnamed ANBU were the only things supporting her, and she vaguely wondered what would happen if they let her go. Would she be able to catch herself from falling? Or was that how her life was to end - not in a notorious fight between a skilled shinobi, but through not being able to help herself? Arisa contemplated this, even as they hauled her body into a building, it's musky, humid atmosphere becoming familiar to her.

This was probably the more 'appropriate' environment Ibiki had spoke of. Even in her state, Arisa could hear the soft whimpers, and deafening screaming, along with that distinct smell of sweat and fear. She pried her eyes open, before blinking several times - thinking she had gone blind. But it occurred to her that the building was underground, where there were hardly any lights except for a few slivers of it here and there.

"Woulda look at thaat?" The slurred voice was coming from her left, two meters away. "They got another fucker! Hey, you! You're--" Strangled choke. "-gunna love it here."

She heard the sound of metal rattling, and other obscenities shouted. Arisa started to glared up at the outlines of the 'Chief Interrogator.'

"This..is..your jail facility?" She could feel the way her muscles burned as he continued to tug her through.

"You could call it that." Was the short, curt response. Arisa blinked once more, as they turned a corner.

_They're probably prisoners that Ibiki's worked with for a while. _She realized, after a minute and a half, as she shifted her gaze back and forth.

Being isolated in complete darkness for long periods of time wasn't necessarily healthy for _anybody_. With the added bonus of being pressured to answer questions that they didn't want to answer probably broke them apart - mentally and physically. Arisa found herself wondering what they were going to do to her. They would probably test her first - ask her to answer questions and threaten her to see which one she reacted to the most. If that didn't work, than physical abuse would be next, before trying to drive her crazy with emotional abuse and more threats.

Ah, yes, Arisa knew how these things worked. The Mist's academy had been built specifically to emunate pressure to see how much one could take. Once you snapped, you were dead.

Here, it had a similar concept to it as well - once Konoha knew all the information they needed on her, she would be just that. Dead.

"Ooh, are we there yet?"

Her voice sounded dazed - almost childish with hints of sarcasm and mockery behind it all.

Suddenly, she felt herself being thrust forward, and waiting patiently on the ground as Ibiki left, and the ANBU quickly tie her up. He didn't feel the need to speak with her, even as he stood up and glared down at her small form. Arisa let out a cold chuckle.

"I've always hated fuckers like you."

The ANBU still didn't say anything, but paused slightly on his way out, before slamming the door shut with a _click_ sound following.

--

_Drip, drop._

_Drip, drop._

Her eyes opened, only realize she was consumed in darkness.

_Drip, drop. _It was a faint sound, coming from her left side. The fact that she could hear it meant the drug effects were gone. She could now think clearly, and start to accumulate things to help her escape. Though it would probably be the best if she didn't move at the moment - her muscles were burning like hell, and her eyelids were threatening to close. The last thing she needed was to fall asleep until they came back. If she did, she would lose count of how many days she had been in here, along with the time left over to complete her mission.

_How long have I been here, anyway?_

Well, her body still felt the same, except shittier. But it basically told her that she hadn't been asleep long enough to feel the full after effects of aching muscles. So in total, Arisa had spent a day imprisoned in Konoha. She still had another five days to get out, complete the mission, and three more days to report back to Tetsuo.

_For now, the mission has been put aside. The main objective is getting the hell out of here. _

Arisa tried seeing through the darkness, along with trying to recall what blurry images were distinguishable enough to find a way out of here. Ibiki had led her through a lot of corners. First they walked straight for what seemed like five minutes, and then they turned..left, walked for another minute and a half before turning right again.

_Walk straight, turn right, walk straight, turn right again, walk straight, turn left and then stop. _That seemed about right. Arisa could vaguely remember her headache subsiding as they walked further into the building. Less obscenities shouted in the air - which meant less prisoners located around her, which probably meant that they were more dangerous and monitored more than those other idiots.

She exhaled tiredly, before focusing on her dark surroundings as much as possible. There wasn't much to see - especially when there was no light. But after several minutes of unblinking concentration and bouncing chakra around the room, she confirmed that there were no security cameras inside. It was only then she let her body rest (with the exception of her eyes) as her brain started to think of escape routes once again.

It was obvious that she couldn't sneak out of here with brute force - the doors were made out of steel and the walls were too thick. The only chance she really had was to wait until somebody opened the door, and knock them out. But there was no need to be hasty; she was positive that they predicted her to panic, and try to escape during their first interrogation.

Besides, she only had one chance to do this right. None of them seemed to realize how easy it was for her to untie herself. In fact, she had already loosened them enough for her to be relatively comfortable, though she could easily cut them with chakra if necessary.

So that was the only playing card she had - the element of surprise. If she messed it up, they would probably put her in something else besides ropes, and then she might not be able to escape so easily. _Drip, drop._

Arisa tilted her head back, letting it lean against the grimy wall behind her. She couldn't help but feel a wave of shame.

_You're here because some smart-ass Genin found you. _She told herself. _You're also here because of your stupidity. A genjutsu of Haku.._

She shook her head, a cold laugh shaking the murky cell. She had been so close - the wound on the Hatake Kakashi's chest was enough to make him collapse. All she needed was to slit his throat once more, and run into hiding somewhere safe to faint from exhaustion. But the headache, dehydration, and blood got to her before that.

_The blood.._

A feeling of discomfort made her body tense, as she fidgeted with her hands. Not only were they rubbed raw, but she could feel that texture of dry blood, coating them.

It was probably on her clothes and on her swords as well.

Maybe even her mask.

A shiver ran down her spine. If she didn't clean them up now, the tint of crimson would never get off. It would no longer be it's vibrant, crimson color, but a dry, dark brown..

_No, no, no. What if it's on my face?_

Arisa lifted her pained shoulder, frantically rubbing her face on the fabric covering it. But upon feeling the dry, yet slightly sticky feel of it, she ripped her face away. How much blood was on her clothes? She hated that sticky feeling..

_Stop, please, stop. _A pleading voice echoed in her mind. Her eyebrows furrowed. Stop what? She didn't understand..

The sound of wailing reached her ears.

_Don't kill me.. _Kill you? But there was nobody here..nobody at all.

_I didn't know! It was a mistak-- _

Her eyes widened, realising what it was. The same voice, out of hundreds who spoke to her when she was covered in..disgusting, and sticky, warm..red _blood._

No, no, no - she didn't want to remember. She didn't want to be reminded. Couldn't they see that? Why did they always have to do this? She didn't want to understand it..

_Slash. _

_I'm sorry._There was some sort of internal struggle; put the kunai down, Arisa. Just put it down..

_No - not yet, I can't put it down, not yet.. _

_Bodies falling. _NO! That was enough, no more.. She didn't want to see it anymore. Take it away, take it away..

_Screaming._

_I'm sorry. _Warm, red, sticky..

_Die you little wrench! _A splash of cold water.

_I'm sorry._

_Please - no.._ She didn't mean to, honest.

_What have I done?_

She didn't want to. Everything was just out of her control..

_Everything was fucking red._

"**FUCK!**" Her eyes snapped open wildly, her hair entangled with the cracks of the walls, and..

Nothing. There was nothing. Just pure, comforting darkness. That was all. There was no screaming. There was nobody here, but her.

_And the blood._

No, no blood - her skin was just dry. _Yes, that was all._

Arisa's breathing started to return back to it's normal rate, and her thoughts started to process through her mind again. After several more reassurances, she realized that she had fallen asleep - lost track of time, which was her only type of reality here.

But at least it made her feel more refreshed. Her muscles had been relaxed - not in as much pain as before. She was alright, she was **okay**. There was nothing getting to her, except for her own hysterics and hungry demons.

_Don'tthinkaboutit. _Her thoughts slurred together, and then after that there was nothing. She was calm once again, content in staring at the black abyss before her.

..

After hours and hours of nothing, Arisa heard footsteps. They echoed slightly, and she found herself taking the time to count every 'tap' noise she heard, mostly in sheer boredom than anything else. But they sounded familiar, boldly informing her of their presence.

_Tap, tap, tap._

They were coming closer and closer, and suddenly the door was unlocked and swung open. A mere flicker of a candlelight lit up the room, as she identified Morino Ibiki from those jagged scars of his. She watched him settle the candle on one of the dents in the wall, before greeting him pleasantly, "Nice to see you, Ibiki-san."

The polite suffix did not make him flinch, or narrow his eyes in disgust. No..he merely continued staring at her with those cold eyes of his, showing no emotion or what he intended to do to her. His response to her was a loud slam of her cell door, which she gave no reaction to.

He then approached her sitting form, and hovered over her with folded arms.

"There are several ways to go about this." He stated bluntly, his voice rough. "The first option is to answer my questions truthfully without protest. I would recommend this to you." His penetrating stare hardened, "The second option is that I will pry the answers out of you myself - something that I will enjoy, but you may not like."

In other words, it said, '_Last chance._'

Arisa could feel a hint of amusement threatening to take over. Wasn't it obvious she had made her decision already?

Nevertheless, she still pretended to think over her choices thoroughly, looking as if she was really torn in between his options. What she really was doing, was trying to delay her torture experience as much as possible. He waited expectantly.

"I was hoping for a third option." She finally replied, casually lifting her shoulders. "The one where I leave Konoha alone, and we pretend none of this ever happened."

There was a subtle twitch of his eyebrow shown in the candlelight. She leaned forward slightly.

"Konoha's currently hosting the Chuunin exams, correct? I'm sure the Hokage, as well as yourself, are busy enough as it is." Her voice had a tinge of feigned innocence, and the unmistakable skill of persuasiveness. "Especially with all the traveling passes and foreign ninja.." _That's enough, if I push it any further, it'll seem too suspicious._

His eyes darkened.

"What are you implying?" He demanded, grabbing a hold of her arm and shoving her against the wall.

A hiss escaped her lips but she quickly restrained it, determined not to show any signs of weakness. Instead, she allowed her eyes to widen slightly, making them look almost innocent.

"What are you talking about?" She breathed quietly.

Ibiki's fingers dug into her flesh, before letting out a grunt and dropping her.

"I suppose we'll have to do this the harder way." He stated icily, retracting his arm down to his sides. "No matter, I'll break you within hours."

Arisa could see the malicious glint of metal in his hand.


	8. Voices

**Author's Note: **If you haven't figured it out yet, there's been a title change. It's a song by Ingrid Michaelson - and kind of related to the story, so I thought, why not? Anyways, a couple of people have been asking when Itachi's going to appear & in all honesty, not anytime soon. Most likely around the fourteenth/fifteenth chapter - but that's only after I get things all sorted out. So really, it could be earlier, could be later. But regardless of that, thanks to all those who reviewed. It means a lot to a writer.

* * *

_The storm is coming, but I don't mind.  
People are dying, I close my blinds.  
__..  
All that I know is I'm breathing.  
All I can do is keep breathing.  
All we can do is keep breathing.  
Now._

_- Ingrid Michaelson, 'Keep Breathing'._

* * *

There were two ways to break a person. One was dealing with physical pain - the stress on the body - and the other was emotional pain - which was stress on the _mind_. Usually, one concept was enough to drive somebody crazy, but Ibiki found it more suitable if he used both. Sometimes he used them both simultaneously, or for certain days, he would focus solely on one concept, and the next he would use the other.

Arisa had realized throughout the hours, and days, that Morino Ibiki was a relatively creative person. Whether it was a newly developed weapon, or a new level of electricity, he was never predictable. Not as much as she would've thought, anyway.

But she knew that the whole idea of 'crushing one's state of mind' all came down to theories. Hypothesises, experimentation which was basically clawing through the darkness to see which she would react most to. Did she have family problems? Was she proud of whatever it was she did for a living? What was Zabuza and Haku to her? Where was she when Team 7 met them? Why wasn't she there to help defend them? Weren't they important to her?

Ibiki tried almost everything to get an emotional breakdown from her - whether it would be rage, hatred, sadness, or fear. But her face had remained stoic - staring right back at him with such eyes that he wasn't sure whether or not he was talking to a teenager, or a corpse.

_'Does it hurt?' _He would ask her, when a kunai was stabbed into her thigh, and as she let out a hiss, _'How much?'_

And just to aggravate him, she would reply in that quiet, almost innocent voice, _'Not at all, Ibiki-san.'_ because Arisa was messing with him too.

She had seen the way he first commented on how young she was - only fifteen, but he didn't know that. You see, Konoha-nin weren't properly raised to be guiltless. How could they, when the academy was putting them into teams, and informing them of 'teamwork' instead of stealth? Of course it was only natural they would feel the need to look out for each other, which left only themselves to blame if their comrade died.

So despite Arisa's desire to scream, and call Ibiki a fucking asshole who should burn in hell, she restrained it, resorting to polite suffixes, and sometimes even encouragement. It was getting to him, slowly but surely, because like all Konoha-nins, he didn't want to kill a defenseless person, never mind teenage girl - assassin or not. Maybe he even had morals for a fair, clean fight. But you could never know with that impassive facade of his.

_Slam._

Arisa tilted her head upwards, once again meeting Ibiki in the eye. "Back again so soon, Ibiki-san?" He glared down at her.

"I brought you something." He responded with a slight sneer. Arisa had figured from the box he was carrying in his hand.

"Another present?" She inquired softly, as she stood up routinely. He didn't look at her.

"Do you like needles, Kaori?"

Ah yes, Ibiki was becoming desperate enough to start guessing commonly feared things. The hospital and needles, places where shinobi should stay as far away as they can. Arisa gazed blankly as he opened the container to reveal various needles of all sizes, filled with a strange clear substance within them. A shiver ran down her spine. Not necessarily for the needles, but of what sort of inventive drug Ibiki had created.

"That's unlike you to take things that are needed by others." She finally responded calmly, as she watched him prepare the syringes. He, as usual, ignored her comments.

"Which one would you like to start with first?" Eerie silence, as Ibiki grasped the longest one. "Perhaps this one?"

_What the hell is that going to do to me? _She wanted to ask, but decided against it. Instead she replied with another, unneeded comment.

"Since when do I get a choice?" It sounded bitter, and Ibiki examined her closely.

Reaction?

_Reaction?_

No, no reaction.

Arisa felt herself grow anxious - she wanted him to inject the drugs in her system already and get it over with, so she could have enough time to let it wear out. According to her plan, he would slowly start to crack under the guilt and frustration, and at his most weakest, she would escape.

"Ibiki-san, what's inside of that?" Her curiosity was getting the better of her, as she continued absentmindedly, "It's translucent - like water, but I highly doubt that it is."

He smirked, and she noted how eerie he looked. Those bags underneath his eyes suited him, in a way.

"I had it invented just for you. Do you know of the Aburame clan?" Arisa thought about it for a moment.

"Yes. They have some sort of connection with insects, correct?" She racked her mind, trying to recall whatever information she knew about them from past opponents. "They have special breed of insects, and benefit from one another. Rather strange.."

Ibiki was looking a syringe in his hand again, examining the amount of fluid in it.

"They were nice enough to provide this to you." He approached her standing figure, gesturing to the needle almost kindly. Like it was going to help her. "It's a little concoction that will allow you to feel as they do. Can you imagine it already? That sensation of hundreds and hundreds of bugs, underneath your skin. They'll be all sorts of varieties. Some will be slimy, like they're sticking underneath your skin, while others will be sharp, their legs containing all sorts of edges to be experimented on your muscles. It'll be as if little acupuncture needles have been embedded deep into your skin, and dragged up and up, twisting and turning.." His dark eyes glimmered, letting the sentence linger for her to absorb.

Arisa stiffened, her thoughts already setting off with hundreds of daydreams while the anxiety seeped in. She recalled having battled against an opponent from the Aburame clan before, and remembered those insects eating up her chakra and how uncomfortable it was. In order to get them out - she had to poison herself - which was almost the death of her had it not been for Haku. But at least Tetsuo's mission had been completed in the end.

"Now hold still." Ibiki hung the rope between her wrists on a hook, and slowly hovered the needle to her arms. Arisa hated how he was reprimanding her for things she didn't have control of.

Arisa was wrong to think that he would inject the drug slowly. As done before - it was jabbed painfully into her flesh, like a dart would have been against a board. At that moment, the sickening sensation of tiny bumps moving up her arm was just so abnormal and appalling she forgot her calm facade, and reacted violently, making the needle protrude in her arm even more deeper than before. Hisses were escaping her mouth like a snake, as she felt her paranoia rise. She was struggling, wrenching her body around as a desperate attempt to remove the needle from her body with such aggression her arm had collided with Ibiki's hand, allowing the needle to be ripped out and clatter to the floor.

She felt her teeth grind against each other, and her eyes shut tightly as her inner turmoil screamed deafeningly into her ears.

They were crawling everywhere - 'they' being the clear substance and_ not _bugs, but her common sense flew out the window as she felt the need to rip her own arm off in order to stop 'them' from advancing further up her arm.

Every tiny leg, every twitch - Arisa wished she didn't have such accurate senses as countless questions ran through her mind.

_Were they biting into her skin?_

_Were they drinking her blood?_

What kind of insects were inside, ripping her muscle tissues apart? Spiders? Beatles?

A whimper escaped her lips, so quiet it was barely audible. But he had heard it, and that was enough. _Weakness_, was what it said, _she's breaking_. Arisa didn't want to open her eyes, all she really wanted right then and there was for them to be gone. Gone as in, out of her system. As in out, out, _out!_

But Oshiro Arisa was not afraid of insects. How could she be, after dealing with things much, much worse? But that feeling..it was just so traumatizing - even minutes after it ended she would not open her eyes. There were still slight tingles of where those _things_ had been up and down her arm.

"There, there." Ibiki's voice suddenly had a new tone of confidence in it, making her inwardly cringe. "That wasn't so bad, now was it? It was just a sample - a mere taste of whether or not it would work. The other ones last up to hours."

_No! No more!_Arisa still didn't open her eyes. But then that _voice _started talking again, quickly soothing her frazzled nerves and emotions.

_Get a hold of yourself. _It said condescendingly, almost as if it were disgusted with her._ An assassin, afraid of insects crawling under her skin? Priceless, they're not even actual bugs. _

But hell, did it feel like the real thing..

_You were so close, he was starting to lose his touch, he was going to snap, and then you go and ruin it all! _The voice was right, as usual. She did ruin her own scheme, but recently, Arisa realized that she ruined a lot of things. _Now stop with this nonsense. Remember what you are. Remember that once you truly break, you die. As in, lifeless - as in __**failure**__, as in another corpse that's going to rot._

Her eyes snapped open. There was no way she was going to be humiliated by dying at the hands of a Konoha shinobi. No fucking way.

_This is nothing. _She thought suddenly, ignoring the after-tremors of her arm. _It's only traumatizing the first few times you experience it. But eventually, like the Aubrame clan, you adjust. __**I**__ can adjust to it, now that I know what to expect. Yes--this is __**nothing.**_

"Ibiki-san." He looked stunned, upon seeing that odd smile on her lips. "Can I choose the.."

Her eyes trailed downwards slightly, focusing on the crimson liquid spilling from his fingers. "..next needle?"

_He's bleeding. _She thought. _Doesn't he know he's bleeding?_

"I think you'll like this one, Kaori." Her eyes ripped away from the way the blood trailed down the tips of his fingers. "Lasts for an hour and a half. You get the feeling of slugs, worms, and those sorts of insects crawling through your muscles and skin. It'll feel as if they're trying to get out, through your throat."

Arisa forced her head to nod. In the dim of the candle light, he looked malicious, as if he enjoyed watching her suffer. "But maybe I can shorten it. You answer a couple of questions, and perhaps you'll never have to experience this kind of thing ever again. _What were you doing in Konoha?_"

No response, her eyes were glued on his hands, firmly holding another syringe in them. "Very well, we will continue. But I have a feeling you'll speak soon enough." Her eyes widened slightly as his hand moved closer to her other arm, before feeling the stinging pain of the needle penetrating her skin..

But the wiggling, and disgusting feeling of slim in her bloodstream was not what made her rigid. She hardly paid attention to that. No, instead all that seemed to be running through her mind was that crimson liquid he had unintentionally smudged on her arm. It was his blood, not hers. She didn't want that fucking blood on her, because whenever the slightest bit of it was the screaming commenced..

_Please, don't make me do this. Never again.._

_Truce! You promised.._

_I'm sorry._

_Too late now, you bitch. _

_I..I need this._

_YOU FUCKING BITCH!_

_More than you know.._

No, no, no! Not now, not in front of the likes of Ibiki. Arisa didn't want to listen to them, she didn't want any of it. Not now, not ever.

_But that blood.. it was everywhere. On her arms and legs, soaking her clothes in dark, thick liquid, and she was.. _

She was drowning in it.

_I'm sorry._

_I should've known - nothing more, nothing less - that's your motto, isn't it?_

_--and it tainted her skin, her eyes, even the skin beneath her fingernails..--_

_Red, it was everywhere. That smell..._

_It was even in her mouth._

Arisa wanted it all off. It was disgusting, appalling - she even hated the color. It made her head hurt, as if her brain was growing too large, and her skull too small. But this was what always happened when her thoughts were going off at an alarming speed, desperately trying to suppress and forget. She didn't want to understand what the whole mess of screaming was about. She didn't want to comprehend it. Oh but she was. Understanding, comprehending, understanding..

_Don't think about it. Don't think about it._

But it was driving her insane. His blood, was on her. She didn't want anyone's blood, never, ever.. Just her own was fine. But it was on her arm, still fresh and warm. Then it would go dry, and turn dark brown. Like the blood that coated her clothes and her hands..

Oh god, it was on her hands.

_YOU FUCKING BITCH!_

Don't think about it. Don't think about it.

_That noise - those screams.. this __**smell**__. That feeling.._

_Kill. Kill. KILL!_

_But.._

Don't think about it. **Don't think about it**.

_Why did it have to get all over her?_

_I WANT MY BLOOD. NOBODY ELSES, JUST MINE, MINE, MINE! _Shut up, just shut the fuck up! Arisa hadn't remembered this part before.

_It's okay, everyone.. I'm sorry._

_See you soon. _

_YOU FUCKING BITCH! _It wasn't making sense - none of it was. Stop the screaming, just stop it..

But it wouldn't stop. It had a firm grip on her, and wasn't about to let go anytime soon. These were rare chances, and demons don't pass up opportunity.

So Arisa did the only thing she could to stop everything. She pushed her stiff head forward, as far as she possibly could without being restrained, and glared into those dark orbs of Morino Ibiki, a menacing glint so bold and dead that even someone like him grew anxious. Her mouth then parted open, taking in all the unclean air her lungs could muster, before preparing herself for the impact.

Ibiki's face held the strangest expression as she closed her mouth, and unexpectedly swung her head back against that concrete wall with such force a sickening sound rang through the air. Her dark blue eyes glazed over, growing dim before squeezing shut.

_YOU FUCKING BITCH!_

Arisa was content in being surrounded in the black abyss.

* * *

**A/N:** Tell me what you think.


	9. Hatake Kakashi

**Author's Note:** I know, I haven't updated since February, and I'm sorry for that. But I just couldn't make the whole thing flow, and it was pissing me off. Then I just kind of redid the whole thing like..six times. Not even kidding. But anyways, here it is. **Please review.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or it's characters. The only character I do own however, is Arisa Oshiro & Tetsuo. BLAH.

* * *

"Ibiki-sama.." The voice trailed off almost instantly, as the blonde medic dropped her chart aside. "We need some back up here!" She shouted, before motioning for nurses to follow her in a professional manner. They reached Ibiki in a matter of seconds, instructing for him to continue holding the body in his hands as still as he could, before inspecting it with critical eyes, and muttering incoherently to one another.

Awkwardly, Ibiki did as he was told, and quickly muttered a barely audible word, "Ropes.."

_Don't touch the ropes._

"What's her blood type?"

The voice was like a razor in the midst of Ibiki's fatigued mind, releasing a tremor of headaches. But he managed to acknowledge the woman with a simple, 'I don't know', before letting his mind drift somewhere besides the hospital. Unfortunately the subject matter wasn't so different. He found himself once again thinking of Kaori - the abnormally thin kunoichi that (he hated to admit) was getting to him - out of all people.

But maybe that was the point - was this some kind of karma the gods above decided to unleash upon him? To place a teenager under his work, incorporate a tedious amount of stress, and laugh, while he grew frustrated and tried to find the perfect balance between broken, dead, and insane? For Kami's sake, the Chuunin exams were already starting and he refused to have Konoha's downfall in his hands. What he needed as information, and fast.

Which meant more pressure. More blood, more gore, even if he didn't want to _have _to do it - he **was** going to cut off a limb or two if needed. But something was pulling him back..hoping that it wouldn't come to that. Apart of him was (dare he say it) _scared_ of what would happen once he removed her arm and she started to laugh. It was completely plausible, considering his last sessions with her, which consisted a bunch of chillingly polite exchange of words, before a smile. At first it was nothing more than a mere annoyance, which irked him, but after a while when things started to get more violent..

Well, let's just say he was more than a bit creeped out. Especially when she laughed. It wasn't that kind of made up laugh that shinobi force out of their mouths to piss the other off.. No, it was different. Empty, mocking - the kind that crept into your head before you knew what was happening. The one that didn't seem to match the body it was coming out of.. and on the brink of sounding like a demon possessed - but not. Ibiki had certainly never heard anything like it before.

_It's kind of like she's laughing at herself.._

But he had yet to find out what was so humorous about getting stabbed..

Shaking his head, Ibiki couldn't help grind his teeth together, watching the girl's dirty face seem almost serene. Even in her unconscious state, she still managed to frustrate him. Would it really kill her to look scared every once and a while? To show him that this was getting to her, much more than it was getting to him? He didn't understand why she acted the way she did.. Unless..

_Unless she was suicidal?_

Perhaps. The girl did show an obvious indifference to death - never screaming, hardly flinching.. No struggle, whatsoever. But maybe that wasn't it. Maybe she felt a neutral indifference to how _injured_ her body would get, as long as she didn't die. That was probably why she could remain so..infuriatingly calm. There was only torture on the table, never an actual execution. Not until she told him _something_ anyway.

"She's so pale.." The same blonde woman commented, thrusting him back into his life just in time to watch her inspect the damage, and raise an eyebrow at the tightly bound ropes. "What's wrong with her body? Shinobi are so reckless.."

He knew exactly what she was talking about. The deep slices in her skin from jagged weapons, the unpleasant murky purple for bruises, and the remaining damage from the volts of electricity he had used. It brought back memories from the past as Ibiki could remember what they _all_ felt like, but quickly pushed the thoughts away. Reminiscing was not something he needed to do, especially in a moment like this. He knew that it was crucial that the girl's head be sustained properly, and not receive extensive brain damage. If she died (maybe she had planned it?) then all the vital information would die with her. _Then_, if something were to attack Konoha, it would be his fault for not stopping it.

So Ibiki quickly sorted out his thoughts, maintaining an impassive face as he watched her be placed on to a stretcher. They maneuvered her carefully, trying to avoid damaging her skull further. "She's a Mist shinobi, a prisoner under interrogation, ordered by Hokage-sama." He informed them briefly, as the blonde nodded in understanding. "Remember to tie her down securely once she's been placed on to a proper bed." He paused thoughtfully, "I would also suggest tying her down when in surgery as well, seeing that she is not something to underestimate."

"Right."

"You have my permission to use a stronger sedative than necessary, as long as it doesn't kill her, or reduce her into a coma-like state." He continued, in a frighteningly robotic tone. "It's most likely for the best if she needs to remain here for a longer period of time."

She nodded again, before making a couple hand gestures for the others to move the girl. The entire time though, her eyes never left his. "What did you do to this girl?" She snapped, barely able to contain the hints of anger in her face. "It looks like she's been injected by some sort of uncommon drug.. Her arms are _twitching._"

Ibiki's gaze flickered off to the medic-nins, as they disappeared around the corner. Yeah, he had noticed that too.

"The drugs should wear off." He stated curtly, his voice more tight than he'd intended it to be. But only because he soon realized that he was experiencing small smudges of guilt in his consciousness. But before he could interpret it further, Ibiki reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glass tube. "It's exactly the same dose that was injected into her." He explained at her dubious stare.

She didn't waste time snatching it from his hands, before examining it like it was the most vile thing alive, and sent him an accusing glare. It was a perfect reminder why the Hokage had always stressed the interrogation sessions remained hidden (far away from prying eyes) underground.

"Her head..It's bleeding," The medic-nin said it slowly, as it waiting for him to explain himself. But when no response came fast enough before she hissed, "For Kami's sake, Ibiki! We don't know what the hell you do to them, but it doesn't take a genius to know not to aim for someone's skull!"

Ibiki could feel his body numb slightly.

"You're right, I was having an interrogation session with her." He muttered lowly, although it sounded like a confession of sorts. "She knocked herself out by slamming her head against the wall.."

As expected, she was disgusted. But at least she was about to cover it.._somewhat_ well.

"She gave herself a concussion to get away from you?" She concluded in disbelief, before eying the clear tube in her hands once more.

Silence.

Ibiki himself didn't know what to say, which was, well, _strange_, because he usually knew the perfect words to make somebody shut up. But what puzzled him the most was that he didn't know the answer to her question. Yes, he had been cruel, but the way she had stared at him made it so disturbing that he didn't know the proper words to describe it himself.

Instead, he replied with a controversial, "No..maybe."_ I don't know._

She didn't have anything else to say to him after that, and quickly walked in the direction of the girl, well aware that his eyes were following her. But everything seemed like it was in some sort of a haze, as he couldn't seem to identify the blurs that surrounded him - only that single memory. Painfully detailed as well, especially the way her eyes had gleamed with such contempt and disgust, reeking of something foul and corpse-like.

It was unlike anything he had ever seen in those underground facilities. Sure, his victims would scream, and scream, just begging him to kill them, and spill whatever it was he needed from them. But that single moment of bipolarity and conflicting emotions seconds after looking so composed, then traumatizing the next and suddenly desperate enough to recklessly injure herself after withstanding so much anguish was all to get away from..what?

For once in his life, Ibiki found himself not want to continue his line of work any longer, even if it was for the safety of Konoha.

--

"How is she, Ibiki?" The Hokage questioned, his right hand containing a wooden pipe, as usual. Ibiki skillfully maintained an stern face.

"Mild concussion, no infected wounds, healing muscle tissues." Pause. "There's no damaging after effects of the new drug, either. The only worse injury she'll have is some scarring." But then again, he wasn't accounting for that psychological part of her. And as he thought more and more into it, there was a thin barrier between her sanity, and losing herself into whatever parallels that existed after that. But he couldn't be entirely sure if she was suicidal, because the girl only lost control for that _one_ moment, and for shinobi, it wasn't completely uncommon. The only thing that separated her from them, of course, was that she was still alive.

Sarutobi Sadaime exhaled slowly, creating rings of smoke to rise into the air. "I see. Has she said anything?"

About the interrogation? No, not really. But Morino Ibiki was determined not to show his frustration.

"No, not even through the time duration underground. She's a capable shinobi to be able to hide information this long. The man twice her age would have at least said _something _after being in constant interrogation for a week." He stated in a drawl. "It's either that, or she really doesn't know anything about Konoha. At this rate though, she might pretend she does just to end the torture, or continue to live. You can never be sure." Pause. "The only thing we do know is that she is an assassin - or former apprentice of Zabuza. But I don't understand why a Kiri shinobi would be in Konoha, because majority of them are still looking for new clients, especially after Gato's departure."

More smoke filled the air.

"I doubt Kirigakure will plan to attack Konoha anytime soon." The Hokage declared slowly, deep in thought, "Although it's strange that they have been unusually quiet throughout the months."

"It could be possible that there's a new leader," Ibiki replied, "She hasn't said anything of who she's working under though."

"Yes, well.." The raspy voice sighed quietly, "It's unfortunate."

_Unfortunate? _Ibiki echoed in the back of his mind, while trying to understand what the Hokage was saying. Was he talking about the girl, and how unfortunate it was that she still hadn't said anything of use yet? Or maybe it was unfortunate that she, at such a young age, needed to be under such violent methods?

He could still remember that smile on her chapped lips as she chose which drug she wanted in her body next, like it was some kind of treasured candy. _It wasn't right_, he thought to himself, _she was supposed to be smiling over a harmless joke, not __**this**_.

So _maybe_ it was unfortunate that she was able to produce such malevolent eyes, that not even someone like him, would be able to produce. Or perhaps it was just unfortunate for him, to be able to do such unspeakable, disgusting things, yet be _praised_ for his actions? Every single restrained gasp, choke, and that brief glimpse of fear in her normally stoic, languid eyes.. he was the cause, yet - they were expecting more, because it wasn't enough. They wanted her to scream louder, to bleed until there was no blood left, and say the right words through clenched teeth..

And when she would speak them, he knew that he would not be able to distinguish truth from lies. After all, this was not the first time he had pushed someone so far that they would crumble, and say the things he wanted them to say, just so they could die peacefully.

He was anything but honorable. Loyal, perhaps, but certainly not worthy of praise. There was nothing to be justified in whatever his actions were in the past, and even now, the present. There was nothing right about it, but he was the one who always did it. Who _had_ to do it.

"Ibiki." Oh, right. He was still with the Hokage. "Where is she now?" He averted his gaze slightly.

"She's back." He grudgingly muttered. _Back_, in that underground facility where there was no light, no comfort. Where he could commit murder and torture, and there would be no questions asked. "Is that all you need to know, Hokage-sama?"

"Yes, thank you Ibiki. You're dismissed."

Everything was a blur once more, as he felt his legs move on their own, and his hand twist the doorknob without his doing.

Ah yes, Morino Ibiki wasn't going to be able to sleep for weeks.

--

Were they gone? Did they stop?

Arisa listened intently to her consciousness. But there was nothing. No screaming, no unnecessary noises of falling bodies - just complete and utter silence. She took deep breaths, uncertainty filling her body, as she wondered what to make of it. There was something different, something had changed..

She took another deep breath of air, before slowly allowing her two hands to touch one another, hesitation written all over her face. _One, two, three._

As predicted, the skin around her wrist had been rubbed raw, and most likely a vibrant rosy color. But she quickly took note of how they dry they were, and more importantly how they no longer covered by that _irksome_, thick texture of another's dried blood. It had been finally cleaned off of her flesh, and Arisa realized that was why the screaming had halted. Relief flooded her mind, as a sigh escaped her mouth. Alas, she felt utterly pathetic, vulnerable even, but at least it was just her now, even if being her came with large headaches.

Her eyelids fluttered close, though there really was no difference in sight. She could feel her chapped lips quirk upwards into a smile, and her back lean against the uncomfortable wall. Upon contact it had initiated a new level of 'headaches', as she felt the unmistakable bump on the back of her skull. Arisa had been expecting this though, and she knew exactly what that bump was. Bandages. Arisa deducted that in her unconscious state, Ibiki had taken her to the hospital, or maybe called a medic-nin to tend to her.

Yes, it was indeed a strange feeling of not really knowing what was happening to her body. Arisa had been beyond surprised waking up to find bandages wrapped around her arms and legs, as well as her head. But still, she couldn't help but feel grateful to whoever it was that cleaned her, given her a new change of clothes, as well as filling her stomach. It was unfortunate that they would never know what sort of an impact they had made, especially by a simple change of clothes. Arisa could feel herself prefer theirs better, because unlike hers, their fabrics held an aroma of cleanliness, allowing her to cherish the feeling it's loose, comfortable fit on her skin. She vaguely wondered how long it would last, before they were tainted red. She exhaled slowly.

_What was it like, to be untainted?_

The thoughts were immediately pushed away, after she realized that would always remain unanswered. Instead, she found herself wishing Ibiki had left behind a candle or two.

_I had hoped I would be recovering in the hospital. _Arisa thought, musing to herself how nice the sunlight would've been on her skin. It would've been worth the trouble of being strapped down on the bed like some lunatic. Plus, she could escape from there with the slightest bit of effort..

But of course, it was merely a dream, too good to be true. Ibiki was not a man who let things slip by him.

So instead of being in a nice, comfortable bed with _pillows_, Arisa remained stuck in her usual sitting position, contemplating all the ways to make up to her momentary slip of weakness and..insanity? No, not insanity, just a minor flaw in her usual stoic composure. (That was happening too often for comfort nowadays.) But it wasn't like it really mattered, because she was now clean, well fed, and basically in the best condition she had been in ever since she gotten into this hellhole. Though words couldn't accurately describe how she felt, the ones closest to it would be like, 'a new form of adrenaline rush.' Arisa truly felt as if she were invincible; untouchable. She no longer cared what type of drug they injected her with, nor did she care about the new forms of torture they wanted to inflict on her, because after remembering past experiences that she'd rather not, nothing seemed so bad anymore.

Hell, Arisa couldn't wait to embrace those drugs and knives with such an optimistic attitude, they'd think she'd gone crazy. When really, she wasn't. Quite far from it, actually, because she, Arisa Oshiro, was completely and utterly sane. And for the sake of her life, she'd continue to be that way.

Another smile crossed her lips, as she waited. She couldn't recall the last time she had felt this excited to see someone. In fact, she could hardly wait to see the first person (mainly Ibiki) to walk through those steel doors of hers, so she could give them a smile, and just continue smiling until they became so uncomfortable, they would feel the need to snap at her. Then she would take that precious opportunity to cut through these ropes and knock them..

_No_, Arisa decided, she wasn't going to knock them out. She was going to _snap_ their stupid Konoha necks, steal their god damned keys, along with any weapons they possessed and finally, their appearance. She could feel her smile grow even wider, relishing the way the Third's expression would look like, once they figured out that she had freely walked out of their prison. It gave her some sort of sadistic glee just thinking about it, because in a way, it would serve as a 'fuck you' gesture to them all.

_Then after I escape, I'll kill this fucking Masashi guy._

Then with her mission completed, and perfect attendance ruined, Arisa would routinely go back to Tetsuo, demanding him not to pay her twice the money, but fucking triple. The odds were in her favor, because Tetsuo would realize that if he didn't give her the money she wanted, Arisa would personally dismember his head.

_Tap, tap, tap._

The smile on her face was cleanly wiped off, as anticipation filled her body. But after seconds past, she faltered, realizing that the quiet footsteps were not that of Morino Ibiki. They didn't have a, 'I don't care if you know I'm coming,' kind of attitude.

Arisa wondered who it was. The Hokage?

No, most certainly not. But what other possibilities were left? It wasn't like she knew anyone who cared about her well being...

A loud creak echoed throughout the cold cell, as she heard the unmistakable sound of keys turning, and a door being pushed open. Almost immediately, she noticed the flicker of a soft light cutting through the abyss, quickly clashing with the haunting atmosphere of the cell. It stung her sensitive eyes slightly, and she had to squint to see through it all. But upon realizing who it was, they quickly widened in concealed shock.

"Hatake Kakashi..?" She addressed him slowly, thoughts of giving a slow and painful death disappearing. In replacement, came waves of confusion, as she stared unblinkingly at the shinobi. He seemed relatively the same from the last time she had seen him. Spiky, unruly hair, a slanted hitai-ate slapped over one eye, and the standard Jounin attire.

He smiled lazily at her.

Or what looked like a smile, anyway.

She inspected him further, this time with the critical eyes of a shinobi. He was hunched over, at a subtle angle that didn't seem comfortable at all, and relatively stiff. _A result of recovering wounds,_ she thought with a satisfied feeling. _But still considered a threat._

All in all, she concluded that it actually_ was _him. But it only left her with more questions. Why was he here? Was Ibiki that relentless?

Then, as if he were reading her mind, the Jounin locked the door behind him securely, before saying, "I came here myself, not for Ibiki."

Arisa shifted against her restraints, not at all comforted by the statement.

"Not Konoha's either?" She warily asked, idly watching as the shinobi placed the lantern into the wall's cracks. He turned to face shortly after, a simple response escaping his masked lips.

"No."

Her frown deepened, but she didn't care enough to spare him a dirty look. It was just a lie, and she had been lied to many times before.

But at the same time.. he looked like he was telling the truth.

"Then why are you here, copy-nin?" She queried. Kakashi simply shrugged, miraculously able to maintain a laid-back persona despite his wounds. But his actions told her much more than that. Arisa had prominently noticed that he had stripped himself of all weapons, including any types of summoning scrolls. A strange action, considering that he was entering a cell with a potentially dangerous criminal. So either he was arrogant enough to believe that he could defeat her without problems, or that he simply didn't care enough to arm himself. Eyebrows furrowing slightly, she carefully listened for any metallic sound that could signify danger. There was nothing.

"Just wanted to talk, that's all." The Jounin replied pleasantly, choosing to ignore her perplexed expression.

"Nobody ever wants to 'just talk', copy-nin." She murmured coldly, eyes still trying to see past his navy blue mask. But there wasn't the slightest trace of an ulterior motive. Not even in his single, revealed eye. Instead, an abrupt chuckle reached her ears, so unpredicted that she flinched.

"Believe it or not, socialization is common around Konoha." Kakashi stated coolly, not bothering to hide the mocking tone in his voice. In return, Arisa inwardly scoffed, quickly recovering.

"You wanna talk? Alright, fine." She smirked in a non-friendly way. "Talk."

Almost immediately, a deafening silence filled the room. She waited patiently.

"..Nice weather we're having today, huh?" The meager attempt at a conversation forced a grim smile to her lips. Clearly, the Jounin came here on instinct.

"I can't exactly tell, now can I?" He grimaced. "I suppose I'll have to start the conversation."

Arisa never thought she was going to have a conversation with the very one who killed Haku and Zabuza. But then again, she also thought she'd never see a sharingan in her lifetime. So if she was going to have to talk with the copy-nin, she might as well get some information out of it.

"Tell me how it is you possess the sharingan, when you're not of the Uchiha bloodline?" She nearly slapped her forehead, once she realized that she had spoken her thoughts out loud. It wasn't like her to be _that_ direct, unless it was the right situation. But the harm was already done. "..It's very nice, by the way."

Once again, she would have slapped herself if she was able to. It was ironic how _she _was the one who made fun of him for talking about the weather. But to her surprise, the silver-haired Jounin merely chuckled once more, not at all offended by her demanding question.

"Why so curious?"

She quickly redeemed herself. "Curiosity is to be expected. It's not everyday you come face to face with a sharingan user."

"That's because not many have it." The copy-nin stated, in a rhetorical manner. There was a bitter edge to his voice that hadn't been there before. Curious, Arisa raised an eyebrow.

"You never answered my question."

He didn't look at her, suddenly fascinated in the yellow glow of the lantern.

Finally, he responded, "A friend." He still refused to look at her, "You could say it was a 'farewell' gift."

"I wish someone would give me a farewell gift like that." She mumbled, absentmindedly, before registering what she had just said. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that..It's clear that whoever it was, was very important to you."

That was a bunch of bullshit, but the copy-nin didn't seem to notice. Arisa happily praised herself on being able to lie persuasively, along with making it seem genuine and passionate. Her true motive was to keep Kakashi talking, and giving her answers. That, and also because she would never admit she liked talking to him. But who could really blame her? He was a million times better than Ibiki, and she was temporarily content having some sort of company in the cell.

"Don't worry about it."

She nodded, and pretended to smile, something that was a bit difficult to do.

"Look, I know I shouldn't be making requests.." _But you do owe me a favor, you asshole_. "But do you think I can see it? Please?"

Suddenly, his attention snapped back to her, his single eye holding the slightest trace of amusement. Her smile wavered a bit.

"I see no harm in it." He replied good-naturedly, before reaching for his hitai-ate. "It's a bit strange, though. People would normally avoid seeing the sharingan."

Arisa laughed, although her voice held no humor. She wasn't exactly normal, now was she?

"I guess--" Her voice was quickly interrupted by a barely audible gasp, eyes straining in the light to focus on the crimson orb. It was beautiful, despite it's deadly color and cruel abilities. She had never wanted it so bad, yet there was the unmistakable sliver of fear inside of her heart. It was telling her to back away, and that the sharingan was _evil_ - but curiosity and longing quickly dulled it's voice, as raw desire took over, along with a vicious hunger for power and control.

_What is it like, seeing through the eyes of an Uchiha?_

It's demonic appearance latched onto her heart, violently tugging her.

But she knew that she needed to calm down. The Jounin was starting to look curious.

"I don't see why you keep it covered up." She spoke quietly, arching her head to get a better glimpse of it. "The sharingan..you're not ashamed of it, right?"

_How could you be ashamed of something like __**that?**_

Kakashi's one eye drifted up to look at the ceiling, while the borrowed one kept it's unwavering, penetrating stare on her. But despite that, the Jounin still looked incredibly sad, emotions of guilt and regret filtering through his face. She couldn't help but wonder why. He didn't seem like the type to really give a damn about anything.

"No, it's nothing like that." He replied, exhaling a breath she hadn't noticed he'd been holding. "It's because the sharingan puts a fair amount of stress on the body if you're not an Uchiha."

Arisa absorbed the newly gained information like a sponge, careful to store it somewhere for further use. Maybe someday, she would decide to avenge Haku and Zabuza, and it would be a shame to waste such blood.

"You seem quite curious about their bloodline." It was a statement, not a question. Not to mention, that _look_ in his eyes. He probably thought she infiltrated Konoha to capture the boy - Uchiha Sasuke. She didn't blame him though, it all linked together rather nicely. "How old are you exactly, Kaori?"

She gave him a wry smile. He did come to interrogate her, after all. She didn't expect anything less.

_But I must say, this method is much more preferable than Ibiki's. It's seems relatively fair to exchange information._ Plus, she wasn't obligated to tell the truth. But since age wasn't something that seemed important to her, Arisa decided that she did owe him at least one answer.

"Fifteen." She responded dully, watching as he gave her that half smile, before..

She frowned. _What the hell was that look for?_

It was the strangest thing, to be able to know what someone was thinking by the mere sight of their eyes. But sure enough, it was that look. The kind of facial expression that didn't quite resemble that of disgust, anger, or deceiving intentions. No, it was different; a type of penetrating stare that was a mixture between sympathy..and _what_, regret? Sadness? Arisa's bound hands clenched into fists from behind her; it was a sign of frustration as she tried to pinpoint what exact emotions were radiating off the shinobi.

_Maybe it was empathy?_

Once again, waves of confusion swarmed her mind, as she continued to stare unblinkingly at the copy-nin. The thought of him actually caring for her well being, or feeling sorry for her..was_ well_, preposterous; so unthinkable that she could have started breaking down in hysterical laughter right there. But instead, she let the feeling of shame encase her, briefly mulling over what her existence had come down to. Months before, she seemed blissfully content (as much as a killer could be, anyway). But now, she felt like an idiot, locked inside of a cell, and hallucinating that the very man who had put her in it actually cared for her.

It was almost pitiful. _But dammit, why did he still have that stupid expression on his face?_

The rational part of her blamed it on the dim lighting, only to be proven wrong when she saw his muscles twitch behind his mask, clearly forming into a sad smile. Arisa detested it, feeling her mouth threaten to spill profanity into the open, and scream at him to leave her be.

"Fifteen, huh?" Her eyes narrowed._ Didn't she just say that? _"You're almost ready to be recruited into ANBU." Kakashi sighed quietly, watching as she blatantly scowled at him. The fact that he brought up Konoha's best assassins made her even angrier. There really was no limit to how much she hated them; from their masks, to their overall cocky personality, and to the respect that was literally thrust down on them. Arisa would not tolerate being compared to them. In her mind, she had clearly drawn the line from what _they_ were, and to what _she_ was. Clearly, they were different, because she _was not _like them.

Yes, Arisa had been called a lot of things in the past. Those being, 'assassin', 'murderer', and basically nothing beyond someone who killed for money. She never contradicted herself with those titles. All it came down to was that she was someone who killed for her own personal gain. That was it.

But ANBU were different. The fuckers did the same thing she did, but it was acceptable, because they did it in the name of Konoha. _Right?_ That alone, should have made up for everything. As long as it was for the people, then they could go kill whoever the hell they wanted, and still become widely respected. 'Justified' wasn't the correct term either, because it was pushed so far that their actions were _praised_. How was that even possible? But it wasn't enough yet. No - to her disgust, ANBU held an illusion that they were _higher_ than her, believing in their own filthy lies that they were no where near her shameless level. The statement was so hypocritical. The truth was that they were, in fact, lower than_ her_; simply because at least _she_ had the nerve to acknowledge that she killed without any kind of adequate reason.

Years ago, that same reason _could have _been viewed as a survival method, but she had long ditched that. Now she clung to it because, yes, it was the only thing she really knew how to do, and also because she had become too accustomed to it to really try and break free. (She worked too fucking hard for this - there was no way in hell she would let it go so easily.)

Arisa saw no reason to hide it.

They hid behind their beloved Hokage, following every command with unfaltering steps. Just like the cowards they were.

It seemed only natural that Arisa would hate them. Just like any criminal. But she personally wanted each of them to die painfully, their animalistic masks shredded into minuscule pieces, and bodies mutilated.

"But you're set, I can tell. It would have been a breeze." Kakashi had been watching her very carefully the entire time. She briefly wondered why the hell he was still here. Why, why, _why._

"I remember when I was your age." He continued lightly. "We're a bit alike, I suppose."

She scoffed.

"We are nothing alike." Arisa snapped, feeling nostalgic. Haku had said the exact same thing. But compared to that kid - she was nothing.

"Maybe you don't see it, but I do." There was that bitter edge to his voice again. "We're the kind of people who experience things that others will never have to endure their whole lives." Carefully, the copy-nin slid down from the wall he was leaning on, becoming level with her on the grimy floor. "We're the kind of people who get thrust head first into things. Situations where there's not enough time to think, never mind make the right choices."

"There is never enough time." Arisa replied coldly, "There are no right choices either."

He stared at her unblinkingly for that moment. Like he was trying to decipher the meaning behind her words.

"I graduated the academy early." He continued on, as if she hadn't said anything. "I was the usual type of wannabe shinobi - a kid trying to pretend he was a grown up. You've probably seen them before; the skilled - slightly above average kind of kids who gave a bit of attitude and are the most arrogant things you've ever seen. That exactly who I was - everyone thought they knew everything at the age, huh?" Arisa frowned. When she was younger, she knew nothing besides needing to fill her stomach and how to do it. "I advanced quickly, as expected from those who looked down on me." The Jounin continued, "But even then, being ready than anyone twice my age could've been, being recruited into ANBU was something I had completely overlooked."

He let out a cold chuckle, as if he was laughing at his own stupidity. There was no humor in it. "It was only then I realized that no matter how hard you trained, or how much talent you possess, you can never be fully prepared to just kill somebody." His indolent eyes were intently on her, watching as she shook her head in contradiction.

"You're wrong, copy-nin." She argued, "There's so many techniques, so many weapons.. Of course you will have some sort of preparation."

He looked intrigued by her perspective.

"True, physically you can prepare to kill someone." He corresponded. "But what about being mentally prepared? There is no way you can possibly experience that feeling of murdering someone simply by learning through books, or by someone describing it to you." Was he pitying her? "This is what makes your first experience..stick with you. No matter the countless others you've killed, the very first person will always be remembered."

Arisa suddenly felt angry, like she had just been cheated out of something important. Kind of how one would feel once they've realized they could have won a ton of cash, only to forget to claim it.

She had already killed countless of times, what was the point in telling her now? It certainly would not help her. The damage had already been done, and it was sure as hell, _irreversible_. Couldn't he see that? Her eyes.. blue, angry, cold..surely he could tell. They were tainted, like her hands, and her limbs, and her entire body.. The strain, the pulled muscles, the scars.. The resentment that was pouring off her body.

First killing experience. What a laugh. He made it seem like one person being killed, not...multiple people being slaughtered. Arisa knew for a fact that what he described wasn't what she had gone through. No..her first experience was so fucked up that it couldn't be remembered - and so painful it _needed_ to be forgotten. Yet there was always a tingle in her hands, serving as a reminder that it would never be truly forgotten. The taste of fear forever remained in her blood, as well as the brain-wracking emotions that was enough for her to succumb to the earth, and snap her own neck.

There was no gradual process. Not like whatever he was referring to - because killing could never be 'eased' into. It was simply done..

And once it happened, it just kept coming. Sloppy attacks from dull blades, but efficient because it got the job done, even if you needed a couple more chops to truly decapitate the enemy..

There were many. All of which were scattered, everywhere..like pieces of meat and trash, not degraded human bodies.. It didn't matter what you were before - in that moment, every body looked so cheap, and so worthless.

Confrontation was the worse of them all. Silent assassination was as clean as it got, but when it was time to face such a mass crowd, in such little time, where everything and everyone was a threat..and you could smell that putrid, foul..

She shuddered, remembering that she had tasted _their_ fear and anticipation, alongside hers.

As fast as the thought had come, Arisa felt her hands begin to tremble, and her head throb. Her nails instantly dug into the palm of her hands, and she exhausted herself, trying to bury the past as quickly as she could, knowing that it would only be dug up later. Until then though, her brain would suppress it, and she would try to never dig it up again.

"Do you know how long people generally stay in ANBU for?"

His voice shook her, making her focus on his eyes once more. She felt hints of relief as she did this, feeling glad that she wasn't alone.

"I'm not a Konoha shinobi, remember?" If he detected any trace of uneasiness, he sure didn't give a damn.

"Two, sometimes three years." Kakashi continued instead, "Even then though, they're not the same as they were before. I'm going to assume you know what ANBU do."

The question seemed rhetorical, so Arisa smiled eerily. If he knew her well, and they really were 'similar to another', he would know that they were the reason she became a murderer. But of course, he didn't. Anybody who did, were dead.

"Two continuous years of _that_, is enough for the average ANBU." The copy-nin seemed far away now. Like he wasn't actually here anymore. "You don't get breaks, unless you've been hospitalized. But even that is limited, and as soon as you've been discharged, you get another. Everyday, it seems like you're killing another person, wrecking another life, and it's not that far from the truth. In fact, you're probably killing more than five people a day. That, in and out of itself, is enough to tear somebody apart. Perhaps not right away though, because after your first kill in ANBU, you generally get over it fast. But only because there's another mission with your name on it, and another person to kill. There's really not enough time to adjust to your conscience, or understand what you've done, so you feel completely numb. Or maybe it's the opposite, and you do understand what you've done, the amount of lives you've taken away, but you just don't care. You don't care on what's happening to you, how much you're being used, and how much you've changed. It just doesn't.._click_."

He exhaled slowly, taking the time to briefly regather his thoughts.

"So instead of talking to someone, you drown yourself in alcohol. To a point where you just collapse on the floor in a heap of your own vomit, or the bartender stops giving you drinks in fear that you're going to succumb to alcohol poisoning. Even then though, you don't care if they're trying to help you, and drunk or not, you'll threaten them, and even try to attack them. There's a sense of indifference to consequence, because you know that the casualties will be excused. Plus, there's not a lot of people who are willing to restrain a member of ANBU, shinobi or not.

"There's this feeling of negative feelings that always surrounds you - that need to blame everything. Everybody is at fault. Friends, family, the village.. it doesn't matter. You don't care what people try to say, and eventually, people give up on you. The Hokage stops trying to give you holidays, and just lets you continue your work. It's..It's a never ending cycle of assassinations, and that's the only thing in your life - the only thing you look forward to. A life has no value; it's about as worthless as the pile of cash you get.

"Unconsciously though..you're trying to make yourself believe that the people you kill deserve to die. It's never your fault, so who's the blame? The people who train you to kill, that's who, as well as the people who tell you to kill. You're just a tool. People use you, so you can't help it if they use you to kill someone you don't want to kill. It's just the way it goes..and it's the only way you can try and live with yourself."

There was a pained look in his eyes, and Arisa could only watch, intrigued. Her face was distorted into a disturbed expression. His words.. They sounded so familiar.

_Like I've said them myself?_

"In the end, you're just trying to deny that it's your own fault. You're abusing your power, because you're no longer using it to protect and survive. You're using your skills, and the power you possess in being a shinobi, to murder people just because your ordered to. In exchange for some cold-earned cash. Is that all there is to a life? A bunch of money?"

Kakashi stared, eyes downcast, to the floor.

"The moment you realize the truth, you get out. No more repetitive killing. You quit ANBU, despite the fact that the moment you do, your body is no longer numbing itself. The guilt is far beyond anything that could ever be physically inflicted on your body. That is the only time you understand why ANBU is so different from the rest of the ranks. In being a Jounin, Chuunin, or Genin, you're merely killing because you need to defend yourself. Assassination missions are rarely assigned, because people know you won't be able to stand it."

Then, he looked up and focused on her. Like he was waiting for her to say something.

She remained quiet.

"My first assassination mission," He said, continuing after a long silence, "was a 'piece of cake'. There really wasn't anything to worry about, because the victims weren't even ninja. It was only a business affair." The copy-nin looked grim. "I traveled with my two other teammates. As expected, they were a bit nervous, but it didn't matter, because the Hokage said we were ready, and the last thing we all wanted was for him to think any less of us.

"Anyway, the mission turned out to be a young couple who were suddenly earning a fair bit of money through trading and whatnot. The husband was constantly traveling, and the wife stayed at home. It wasn't like they were doing anything wrong, we all knew that their profits were strictly legal. But our client didn't like it, seeing it as a potential threat in the future. He wanted them, along with their small business, destroyed and done for. So we waited outside their house. Just until the sun was down and their lights were off."

Kakashi was no longer looking at her, and his voice had gotten quieter. Like he was ashamed.

"I will never forget how I felt when we entered their home. It was like all my senses were on fire, especially since I knew that the mission was going to be a success. We were going to be the most efficient, newly made ANBU team if we came back soon enough - and it was only sheer luck that the husband was home that day.

"I remember killing them with a kunai, straight to the throat like one would do to a common practice target. There wasn't enough time for them to react, so I suppose they died in no excruciating pain. After that, I left the room, leaving my teammates to look for traces of Konoha involvement. I should have helped, because the slightest trace of evidence of us killing them would have dire consequences. But I couldn't..I felt nauseous in comparison to their jittery faces.

"Instead, I roamed their house. It wasn't that big, but there were a couple other rooms. I went into every single one of them, and observed all the photographs. That was when I realized that.." He struggled for a moment, "..That there was a little girl in one of their photos. They had a kid."

Arisa remained motionless, even when he gave her a meaningful look.

"She was probably around the age of six." _Wasn't that around the time I.._ Arisa grew confused. Was there a reason he was telling her this? Did she really look like some kind of therapist? "I remember how fast I turned, a kunai gripped in hand when I heard something behind me. Especially how terrified I had become, realizing that it wasn't some deadly opponent ready to kill me, but that little girl."

_Why does this sound so familiar?_

Her eyes widened. _No.._

"I should have hid, or I should have thrown that kunai and let it move it's natural course. It wouldn't of been hard, I've trained countless times, repeating that motion.. In fact, I was going to, but then I saw that face. Those big blue eyes, staring up at me, confused and scared."

_Her dark eyes stared up at the mask. It had a cold, expressionless surface, resembling that of an animal. Merely a facade to conceal murderous intentions. _

_Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the dim glint of a blade. It was creeping closer and closer to her small figure, but she did nothing. Instead her mind, a child's mind at that, was trying to understand. What was happening? Why did this person kill her parents? She wanted to ask the stranger just that, but couldn't seem to open her mouth. There was so little time left, the blade was close.._

It _**couldn't**_ be..

The copy-nin stared her dead in the eye, looking distressed in his affliction.

"Your name isn't Kaori." He said. "It's Oshiro Arisa."


	10. Chpt 9c2

**Author's Note:** Surprised? Yeah, I guess I would be too. But what you all should know is that I now have up to chapter _twenty_ written. The chapters just need a little tweaking, but when I looked over at this one, I thought something along the lines of, 'Screw it, just upload it' and now here it is! Unfortunately, it's just a filler kind of thing, tying loose ends from the previous chapter. Gah. The next one is probably going to be a filler too, unless you really want to know about Arisa's childhood.

(Personally, there are times I really don't give a crap about knowing an OC's background. But it kind of needs to be done, urghh.)

Anyways, thank you for all the reviews and messages. They're really great and help inspire me even though I'm not particularly in the writing mood at the moment.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or it's characters. The only character I do own however, is Arisa Oshiro & Tetsuo. BLAH.

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It _**couldn't **_be.

The horror was clearly shown on her face, as she merely gawked at him with wide eyes, completely stunned and infuriated at the same time.

"The moment I saw your face, and those dark blue eyes of yours." The copy-nin continued in a more quieter, softer voice. "I knew. But I did not tell the Hokage, nor did I confide in anyone else. So even now that I _have_ confirmed it, I will not. You have my word on that."

A long silence took over after that, as she started to register what was happening - no that wasn't the right words; what had _occured_.

It was only after it truly sunk in deep, that her expression deadpanned, only to break into a large grin and hysterical laughter. It was for many reasons. The fact how she did not react properly with a confused look and responses of denial had caused further damage to her obscured identity was one. The fact that they now knew not only her face, but her name, was two. The fact that they even knew her deceased parents, and her overall background information, was three. _**Unbelievable.**_

She continued laugh harder, no longer caring whether or not it was loud, or if it echoed around the room.

Kakashi merely stared at her with those goddamned sympathetic eyes of his.

Finally, Arisa was able to speak.

"Y-You!" She gasped, before biting down on her lips, muffling her laughter as much as she could. It was just so fucking ironic. She had always known that life had a cruel sense of humor. But this, _this_ just crossed the line of 'cruel' and 'unfair'. No, this was just..

Arisa hiccuped, her throat constricting painfully as she tried filling her lungs with air. It was so unbelievable..

Yet, she knew that it was true. _How ludicrous_.

"That's _real_ fucking funny, copy-nin!" Arisa's laugh now held a tinge of eerieness to it, matching the way the light danced in her eyes. "First, it's my parents who's financial affairs were none of your concern! You had _no right_ to meddle in their business." Her tone of voice bounced dangerously between menancing and giggling. "But I adjusted, because like you said, it's a _numbing_ process huh? What the hell can a six year old comprehend, anyway?!" Giggle. "Though I must say, stealing was quite nice. So was the academy with it's_ nurturing _environment."

There was a distinct edge of sarcasm in her words, but he did not react in any way.

"Five years later, I found myself no longer giving a damn. Though the closest things to an exception _would've_ been Zabuza and Haku. They were the only acquaintances in my life that I didn't look down on in repugnancy, or in contempt. But then, _you_." Her voice lowered to nothing more than a soft, affectionate whisper, that in and out of itself had a face of it's own. "You and your cute, laughable, poor excuses of ninja show up, thinking they're absolutely invulnerable with their lousy village hitai-ates. Then before I know it, the two people that I could've gave a damn about, are gone. Dead!"

Her eyes flashed angrily. "You were lucky! You shouldn't even be here - or maybe I'm just seeing things, because you're fucking dead in my eyes. Hell, if I had been there..It would've been different. I know it, because unlike Haku, I don't hesitate. No..I would've killed those fucking kids!"

"Yes, you would've." The corresponding reply was enough to shut her up, if only for a moment, as her lips formed a thin line. "If you were there, they would've been dead. All three of them, the bridge builder, and me."

His gaze never wavered from hers. She grinded her teeth together.

"So," Arisa started, a dry laugh escaping her lips, as malicious intent laced her words, "Where's that teammate of yours? I haven't had the chance to _properly_ thank her yet."

(_Bitch should have just let me be._)

The copy-nin looked somber. "Rin.." He murmured to himself, "Ah, well. I suppose you could try saying thank you. But I doubt she could hear you."

Upon realizing what that meant, Arisa smirked atrociously, "Dead is she? What a shame. Though I must ask, how did she die? Perhaps it was something like my parents - a kunai embedded in her throat." Innocent giggle. "Or maybe like Haku.. A large hole in the chest, some gash wounds, and maybe blood trailing down her lips? _Well? _Oh come now, copy-nin, there are no secrets left here. I thought you wanted to _talk!_"

His expression was unreadable.

"It doesn't really matter how she died." The Jounin muttered lowly, "Though if it satisfies you in some way, her death came from my inability to save her."

Arisa smiled coldly.

"How unfortunate. Maybe we are similiar to one another, after all, copy-nin. You weren't there to save the damsel in distress, and I wasn't there to kill those adorable kids of yours."

There was a long silence that followed her sentences. Arisa still had that _smirk_ on her face, while the Jounin remained apathetic.

Finally, Kakashi spoke, "You really cared about them, huh?"

That wiped the smirk right off her face. Instead, she leaned back against the wall, looking aggravated. _Who? Haku and Zabuza, or my childhood..parents?_

He was expecting an answer.

She finally responded with a cold, "No."

"But you do, Arisa. You wouldn't be here right now if you didn't."

_Don't flinch. _

"I am here because of my own incompetence - that is all." Arisa's voice left no room left for an argument. "But tell me, copy-nin.."

She focused on his sharingan, more in fascination than anything else.

"Why are you here? As I've said before, no shinobi, nor person, ever just wants to 'talk.' There's always a hidden motive behind it." Pause. "Are you seeking solace? Forgiveness? Something to compensate for the guilt you hold within? Surely there is something behind that fake facade of yours."

_That must be it. _Arisa realized. He wasn't feeling sorry for her - no, he was feeling sorry for himself. _Of course_, why hadn't she realize it before?

As expected of the majority of people nowadays, Hatake Kakashi was a respectful shinobi. He always had good intentions, and of course he never wanted to fuck up her life. No..he didn't want her to turn into the person she was now. When he had destroyed the only family she had, he was just doing it in the name of Konoha. For his village, for his Hokage, and for the people. But now, even though he was _such_ a good person, his conscience was bugging him. Maybe he couldn't sleep without having gruesome nightmares? Or maybe he realized that his hands were just as red as hers.

Yes, Hatake Kakashi was seeking to justify his actions. But did he honestly think she was going to bring him forgiveness? That even though he had killed all the people that had made a difference in her life, it was still going to be okay? That maybe they would become good friends, because he would visit her in her cell every once and a while?

_Hell no._ It was too damn nice to finally have one main subject to blame everything on. Yes, it was still Konoha shinobi, but with a deeper surge of hatred and understanding. Everytime the thought crossed her mind, she would always remember Hatake Kakashi, the copy-nin who had successfully ruined her childhood, career, and killed all the people she gave a damn about. Yes, there was no need to thank his teammate, Rin. Really, he was to blame - she should really be thanking _him. _

"No, I did not come to seek for your forgiveness." The copy-nin spoke, a long sigh escaping his lips. "But you had a right to know what happened."

Her expression darkened.

_Don't shriek, don't scream - just talk. _Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.

"Why, I didn't think you'd be so considerate." Sarcasm was practically oozing off her words. "Thank you, Kakashi-_san_."

Quietly, the silver-haired Jounin stood up, taking out the keys from his pocket and unlocking the cell door. She started to laugh once again..hysterically, as if he had just said the funniest thing in the world. His retreating figure stopped part way outside, lantern in his right hand, and keys in the other. A large grin was placed on her lips, as she smiled innocently at him, wanting him to remember this moment for a long time. If possible, she wanted it to be the very first thing he thought about everyday, in his dreams, and even in his nightmares. After all, she had done that for quite a bit throughout the years. Wasn't it fair that he did the same?

Her laugh grew louder, echoing throughout the outside halls, as well as inside her cell.

"You better watch your back, _**Kakashi-san**_." Were her last words to him, before the steel door was slammed shut, and she was consumed in darkness once again.

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**Author's Note: **I apologize for it's crappiness. I really don't expect any reviews from this chapter, because it _is_ a filler and a bit redundant. Thanks for reading it though.

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	11. July 24, 2010

Hello everyone!

Surprised to see me? I would be too, considering I've been gone for _almost a year. _

But now that summer is here, I'm contemplating on writing again, depending on how much time I actually get.

This is just a little author's note to see who is actually still wanting to read this story or not. But I've gotten several reviews, alerts, and favorites, so I'm hoping there's still some of you out there.

Leave me a msg :)

Some nice fanfiction would be good - I need some inspiration 3

`SPS


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